Of the Wing
by ShadowCrest
Summary: A new part of the curse is revealed. Will it bring life or death? Who and what is this girl that so many vampires are after? Can Damon find all the answers before it's too late? Bad at summaries... Damon/OC Rated for adult situations and language.
1. Introductory Flight

Greetings all around! Thanks for your interest in my story and, just to let you know, I've got most of it written already and have everything pretty much planned out, so this won't turn into a never-to-be finished teaser! That being said, I'd love to hear any and all ideas, theories, complaints, and complements!

**Of the Wing**

**Ch. 1 Introductory Flight  
**

Don't own 'em, just love 'em

Except Athena. She's all mine!

The air currents ripped and raged around me, tossing my already exhausted body violently over the lush forest. The white-tipped, rusty feathers were now soaked to a dark red; and the rain showed no signs of stopping. Just a few more miles. I could make it just a few more miles.

For three days I'd been flying desperately to put as much distance between myself and those men. The ones my mother had warned me about. The ones that had come from the shadows with nets and knives and fear. Something was wrong with them. They moved, but everything about them screamed death. How close they had come to taking me… Never. I was free, and they would never put me in a cage!

And so I flew. My hair whipping wildly through the air; my skin numb from the icy rain, sleep pulling on my eyelids; but not yet. Just a few more miles.

"What the hell was that?" Instantly, my mind snapped back to attention. I was falling; just a few short inches above the tree tops, and someone had seen me. Adrenaline raced into my veins and I pushed harder, faster, desperate to escape before they could be certain what they had seen. Just a big bird. If I could get away fast enough; surely they'd assume I was just a big bird.

I angled my wings to guide the air beneath me and push myself higher. A sudden, violent gust tossed me ten feet up before dying and dropping me fifteen. I flapped desperately to catch myself. Just as I was beginning to gain altitude, something shot from the trees. At first, panic threatened to overwhelm me, but another glance revealed it to be a raven, and again I focused on controlling the chaotic currents. Just a raven. A giant raven. That was following me. Watching me. Those eyes. Something wasn't right about those eyes.

Disregarding the probability of my own delusions, I quickly ducked to the left, away from the terrifying black bird that would surely, on any other day, have been beautiful. To my growing horror, it followed me. Escape. I had to get away. The all-too-familiar tingling alerted me to a particularly strong oncoming buffet. At the last second, I angled my wings to catch the angry burst and let it sweep me high above the raven. With an outraged squawk, it struggled to adapt to the sudden wall of air. Just as it managed to conquer the updraft and rise to meet me, the current passed and threw us down. I tucked my wings in and rocketed down maybe twenty-five feet before stretching to my full wingspan and catching the air in a tight pocket beneath me. In the same heartbeat, I tilted my wings and flapped hard, throwing me to the right.

Some new type of determination seemed to radiate from the raven as it swooped and cut through the air just behind me. Another current was coming. At the last second, I dropped a sudden fifteen feet before swooping up to catch the tail of the updraft. My upturned wings were nearly ripped off with the power of the violent gusts as it lifted me straight up over the forest. As I'd hoped, the raven had tried to follow me exactly, but the brief delay in its movements as it dove, had sent it into the air current at the worst angle. The wind screamed over its wings and shot him down like a bullet, straight into the trees.

There wasn't time to watch it disappear, though. The current had tossed me back and I was stalling out. Once it had passed, the sudden lack of force left me unsupported and I began to drop. Several hard flaps left my already sore muscles burning as I struggled to right myself, but another tiny gust proved just enough to push me in the right direction and I leveled out.

A large black streak caught my attention. The raven. It watched me curiously, mischievously, but not maliciously. And that fascinated me. How could a bird show such emotion in just a second's glance? No; this was no ordinary bird. I couldn't help but smirk as it managed to fly beside me. Alright; it wanted to play? I could play.

I subtly turned my body to the side and gave a violent flap, rocketing me away from the onyx bird, before lifting my wings high above my head and pushing down hard once, twice, three times, before gliding into another current. The stubborn raven followed. I wouldn't be able to travel those extra few miles, not after this; yet how could I pass up such a blatant challenge?

The current vanished. I tucked my wings back and shot down with dizzying speed, before steadily stretching them out to catch the air; just enough to guide me; to level out. With that speed, however, I caught the next raging gust and shot back up. He followed.

The wind changed subtly, but I could feel it. Hesitant; swirling. An invisible, horizontal spiral. I could catch it; I was certain I could. Delicately, I flew into the center of it; letting my wing tips just brush the sides; before rocking into it. The current caught my wing and gently spun my body with it. Suddenly the ground was above me and I looked down at the raging black clouds. With a sweeping dip, I leveled and looked back for the raven.

He flew into the center of the twister, but he tried to force the spin. The current caught him and threw him up and around and out of control. For a few hazardous feet, he was a ball of violent flaps as he desperately tried to right himself.

He had courage; that I couldn't deny, but how far would he go? I angled my wings up drastically, just in time for the next angry current. Like before, it threw me back and up. This time, I didn't fight it. I let it push me up and up and over. And, as I looked up at the sky, I wrapped my wings around me, and, as the current completed it task, plummeted head first to the earth. The raven exclaimed in alarm and shot down after me. A small, victorious smirk toyed with my lips as I watched the ground shoot toward me with terrifying speed. I rolled just enough to dodge the numerous tree branches on my kamikaze drop. Forty feet separated me from the ground. Thirty. Twenty-five. Another shriek from the raven. Twenty. And I threw out my wings, catching the air with a loud slap. Ignoring the agonizing protest of my joints, I forced several desperate flaps to all but stop my descent, allowing me to gently touchdown.

Panting, I turned to see the bird. What I saw rekindled the panic and sent a fresh wave of adrenaline racing from my pounding heart. A man stepped out from the trees, panting but laughing hardily. His shaggy onyx hair stuck to his pale skin as he watched me with impossibly blue eyes. He braced himself against a tree and let out a few more chuckles as he waved a finger at me.

"You… you're good." He panted. "Whew!" His hands fell to his hips and he leaned back, stretching playfully.

"You're the raven." I gasped, "But how?"

"Oh, like you're one to ask." He retorted, the smile never fading. "I've heard of all kinds of animals morphs, but never a half morph. Much less one capable of flight; and what a flight that was. You'll have to show me how you did that little barrel role some time."

"What are you talking about?" I asked impatiently. He shot me a 'come on, drop the act' face, before drawing his brows together and really looking at me. Confusion stole across his eyes.

"Wait a minute… your heart's still beating." It was more a question that a statement. Panic threatened to overwhelm me and I couldn't help but take a step back. Yes, I could out-maneuver him in the sky, but my body was exhausted and my muscles worn out. If it came down to it, I could fight him, but he could change shapes… what other tricks did he have?

"What are you?" I barely breathed. He scoffed and crossed his arms across his chest.

"You mean I got out-flown by a human?" he asked in disbelief. "Man, I'm never going to live this down." There was a small pocket knife clasped to my bra that my mother had given me.

"What are you?" I asked again, just barely able to keep my voice from trembling. Could I grab the knife before he was on me?

"I think the real question here is 'what are you?'" He asked taking a few leisurely steps toward me. My body automatically readied itself for a fight. My shoulders dropped, my back rounded, my stance widened, and my wings flared. Would I be fast enough to defend myself before he overpowered me?

"Oh relax; I'm not going to attack you." I said dismissively. "So, is this some other Mayan curse thing?" he asked, motioning to my wings.

"Damn it, what the hell are you?" I nearly shouted. He threw his hands up in submission.

"Alright, alright; god." He exhaled sarcastically. "I'll tell if you tell." I said nothing. A smirk pulled at his lips. "I'm a vampire." At first I dismissed it; but something about his eyes… he wasn't lying. A Vampire. My mind raced. A vampire. Alive, but not. Moving, but screaming death. The men. The men with nets and knives.

"Relax, I'm not here to…" he made an exaggerated motion of grabbing something and biting it. "Alright, now it's your turn. I told, now you tell." I thought my heart would break free of my chest. I couldn't control my diaphragm and my body shook with panicked gasps.

"Hey; you know, you're kind of hyperventilating there. That tends to not be very helpful with things like; I don't know, staying conscious." Was he one of them? The ones that tried to take me? "Yeah, I know; vampire; very scary, but if you don't breathe, you're going to pass out."

"One of them." I gasped. Once again, confusion toyed with his face. He started to say something else, but he took another step toward me, and the panic took over. In a single heartbeat, I'd spun around and launched myself into the air; the exhaustion forgotten as my wings pumped frantically. A shout sounded from behind me, followed by an angry curse and a ruffle of feathers. I kicked off of each branch I passed, desperate to get free of the restricting trees as fast as I could. With each flap, my wings threatened to cave, but I could escape. Surely I could escape him, if I could just reach the sky.

A loud caw erupted to my right, instantly catching my attention just as I shot from the treetops. The moment of distraction cost me dearly as the sudden, angry winds threw me against the very tree I'd just escaped. The sudden collision forced the air form my lungs and sent daggers through my back. A tiny glimpse. The man, standing on a branch just below me; shouting.

Ignoring the agony in my back, the burning suffocation, the exhausted muscles; I threw myself into the storm. The determined raven followed. In my panic, I couldn't focus on the near unnoticeable hints foretelling sudden gusts and drops, and my body became the plaything of the currents. I was only barely able to stay level. And, always, the shrieking caw of the raven; demanding my descent. To both our horrors, he got his wish.

A sudden, violent wind buffeted me. At first, it seemed tolerable, but my left wing began to tremble. And weaken. My body began to drift. And then the muscles went limp. And I fell. Another shriek. I tried desperately to compensate with my right wing, but my body plummeted wildly toward the trees. The raven dove after me. Just before it had caught up, the forest engulfed me. Horrified, I realized the magnitude of my situation. I couldn't even guide my descent. I was freefalling through a forest.

A branch slammed into my abdomen. I heard the sickening cracks and felt the air flee my lungs, but nothing seemed to register. My body snapped around it like a ragdoll before slipping off to continue the lethal descent. Darkness edged my vision. Damn. I didn't want to die like this. I still hadn't seen the ocean.

Something warm seemed to engulf me. The touch set my back and abdomen aflame, but I couldn't fight back. There was no strength left in my limbs. Blue eyes. Like ice. Cold. It was cold. We weren't falling anymore. But we were moving. He was carrying me. No. He was taking me to them; no! You can't have me! I managed just to struggle, but the tiniest movement sent white-hot pain shooting through me. Still, I wouldn't let them take me! I wouldn't be they're prisoner!

"Damn it, girl, stop!" He suddenly shouted, instantly demanding my attention. I struggled to keep my eyes open; to keep the world from melting and collapsing in on itself, but it was a losing battle. He said something else, but I couldn't make out any words. It felt like I was falling again. My eyes closed for just a moment.

"Damon; where'd you" the question stopped abruptly, "Damn it, what did you do?" I didn't know that voice. Vainly, I tried to see the speaker, but something restrained me.

"Thanks so much for the vote of confidence, little brother." The raven replied, almost annoyed. "Now, get out of the way." I struggled to rid myself of the restraints, but the instant I tensed my torso, the muscles screeched in agony. My arms instantly wrapped around my stomach as I gasped in pain. More voices. I couldn't focus on them. Trembling, I could only wait for the white hot daggers to stop digging through me.

Something soft caught me and the restraints retreated. Desperately, I tried to make sense of where I was, to find an escape, but all I could see was ice. The raven who wasn't a raven. Vampire. With nets and knives. They were coming. Surely they were coming. And they would take me and lock me up and hurt me. No! No, I wouldn't let them!

I threw out my wings, hoping to nock away the icy eyes. Someone gasped. Frantic questions. I flapped hard and threw myself from the bed. Shouted curses. Hands grabbing me; holding me down. Arms. Restraints. I shouted as I fought them; already knowing it was futile. Blue eyes.

"We're not going to hurt you. You need to relax." Something tried to overwhelm me, to calm my frantic muscles; but that only terrified me all the more and I redoubled my struggle.

"Careful of her wing!" He shouted.

"I'm trying! Damn it; hurry up and compel her!"

"I tried! She must have vervain in her system!" Another angry curse. "Just let go of her!"

"What?"

"Let go!" And the hands were gone. Trembling, I stood, poised to fight, but barely able to keep my feet beneath me. "Alright, now very slowly, get out of here, Stephen." The beginnings of a protest were instantly cut off with a quiet grunt. And one left. I managed to back a few steps away from the other; the raven.

"Alright; now it's just you and me." He started, "Think you can calm down a bit?" My body swayed violently, but I managed to find those icy blue eyes. And I couldn't look away.

"Where am I?" The words sounded slurred, but he understood them.

"At my house; well mine and my brother's house." He said, trying to lighten the atmosphere with his façade of nonchalance. "This is my room."

"Why?" The rest of my words failed me as the floor seemed to dip beneath me. Once the spell passed, he replied.

"Well, you kind of went a few rounds with a big pine tree. You lost." He added.

"You followed me." I tried to ask why, but I was already panting with the effort to simply stand. He shrugged dismissively.

"I've never seen anything like you. And that's saying something. I was curious." My mind started to spin. The adrenaline was beginning to fade and the pain was borderline debilitating. But the men, they were coming for me. For the same reasons? Curiosity? The same. He was with them.

"The men." I whispered.

"Yeah, you were mumbling something about that earlier." He took a casual step toward me, hoping I wouldn't notice. I saw it, but I could do nothing about it. If I moved at all, even just a tiny step back, I would crumble. "I'm afraid I don't know anything about these 'evil, shadow people,' but I can assure you, I'm not one of them." He said, but his face faltered and he added, "Unless, by 'shadow people' you mean vampires in general, which is a tad unfair. We're not all bad." I tried to glare at him, but the colors were spinning again.

"Just a heads up, you're going to fall in about five seconds, and I'm going to catch you, so don't freak out, okay?" I tried to question him, but my leg collapsed. Before I'd even begun to fall, warmth enveloped me. I gasped and tried to jump back, but my entire torso was suddenly burning. I bit hard, but couldn't silence the whimper as my hands tightened around his jacket.

"Well, that was better than before. Now, I'm going to put you on the bed." He explained calmly.

"No," I tried to object, to beg him to wait just a moment; just until the pain faded a little, but I couldn't form the words. Still; even without my explaining, he waited before pressing the matter.

"It's a nice bed. Picked it out myself. Nice a squishy." He tempted; tightening his arms to support more of my weight.

"Hurts." I finally gasped; cursing myself for sounding so weak, but unable to do anything else. Something in him instantly changed. I couldn't tell what it was, but it made me feel safe.

"Alright, we're going to go nice and slow, okay?" he almost whispered; already gently pulling me back. That miniscule movement was all it took for my knees to cave. He didn't catch me; merely guided me down slowly, as quiet words danced from his lips. I don't know if it was his intention, but that saved me, I was sure, from the agony I knew accompanied such a jar; either from being caught or from falling.

"Listen, I'm going to lift you up for just a second and sit you on the bed. Alright?" He asked. I expected him to move instantly, but he didn't. Finally, I managed to find his eyes. He was waiting for me to give him permission. My hands tightened on his jacket, but I nodded. So carefully, he held me against him and stood. Where his arm crossed my back screamed in agony, and I couldn't help but groan.

"I know," he whispered as he set me down. "See? Nice and squishy." I couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm going to take a look at your back now, alright?" I understood only a few words as my lids began to droop. "Hey?" he drawled out, trying to get my attention. "Come on, little bird girl, focus. I'm ever-so-subtly asking permission to take your shirt off." My grip on his jacket weakened and my hands slid to the bed. "Can you tell me your name?" He asked, touching his thumb to my chin. I fought hard to see his eyes. My name. Yes, I could tell him my name.

"A-Athena," I breathed. "Athena Allansri." Even that left me panting, and each pant sent daggers into my ribs and stomach.

"Athena; Goddess of love and war. Fantastic." He said with exaggerated euphemism. "You got a nickname?" His other hand moved to the back of my head. Vaguely, I realized he was gently probing for injuries.

"Thea." I whispered. The raven. The raven with ice blue eyes. "Who?" I couldn't finish forming the words in my mind, much less my mouth.

"Damon Salvator, at your service." He gave a little bow and slid his hand down to my neck. "You don't have any kind of attachment to this shirt, do you?" he asked, stepping to my side. I started to question him, but was interrupted by a loud ripping sound, followed immediately by a freezing gust of air. Immediately, my arms flung around my torso and my body trembled. That movement, however, jarred my back and stomach, sending flashes of white hot pain shooting through me; like I was being ground between two great glaciers.

"Easy, little Thea; don't go getting all prudish on me, now." Even as he said it, his warm hands gently glided over my back; like tiny wisps of fire.

"Cold." I gasped as another shiver shot down my spine. His hands stilled.

"Ah; well, that's easy enough to fix." Almost instantly, the heavy scarlet comforter was wrapped around me. "Well, your back's bruised pretty bad, but it should be fine. It's going to turn all kinds of pretty colors though." Gently, he guided me back against a wall of down pillows. "I'm going to take a look at your stomach now, okay?" I nodded; anxiously pulling my wings tight against my back.

Without a word, he pulled back the blanket and shredded shirt to just reveal my abdomen. Again his hands ghosted across the tender skin.

"A little pressure." He warned as he carefully prodded my ribs. I couldn't help but balk violently and cry out at the sudden agony that raged from my wretched body, and my hands shot down to lock around his wrists. "Alright, alright," he whispered, "No more." He tried to pull his hands back, but I couldn't release them. Every muscle was tensed, anxiously waiting for the pain to subside.

"Thea?" he called; trying half-heartedly to get my attention. I couldn't respond. I couldn't think. Please, just make it stop. A whimper sounded from my throat. Damon sighed quietly.

"Come on; let's get you a little more comfortable." As gently as he could, he guided my hands down and carefully rolled me on my side. My body instantly curled into a ball. Something warm touched the side of my face. "Easy; just try to sleep." No; I couldn't sleep. The men were coming. They wanted to take me away. "Hey; come on, Thea; look at me." He delicately caught my chin between his thumb and forefinger. "Athena." He drawled. I just barely managed to slit my eyes and meet his gaze. "I'm won't let them take you." He promised. And I believed him. And my eyes slid closed.


	2. Frightening Misunderstanding

A bit of bonding followed by a lot of embarrassment. And, just so you can all laugh at me, yes, the scene with Elena was actually based on something I did... yeah... And yes, I have the same tolerance for alcohol. None. lol, a few sips and I'm almost instantly loopy!

**Frightening Misunderstanding**

A finger of light burned through my eyelids. Groggily, I opened my eyes. Instantly, my heart raced, flooding my veins with adrenaline. No trees. I was inside. A bed. Scarlet sheets. Trapped. Without thinking, my body shot up; but immediate double over as knives dug into my stomach and back.

"Well I bet that felt good." Someone commented. With I gasp, I jumped to face them, but that redoubled the agony surging from my bruised torso. "Alright, here we go." He said almost more to himself than to me. Gently, he guided a big pillow against my stomach as he sat down behind me. Holding my hands in his, he hugged the pillow against me, offering just enough support to my screaming ribs to ease the pain. In seconds, my body relaxed.

"Better?" he asked, almost haughtily. I swallowed hard and nodded, all-too-aware of his lean body pressed carefully against my back. "Good." He said quickly and got to his feet. "After you pasted out last night, I fixed your ribs. I'd suggest taking a trip to the hospital, but something tells me that might cause a whole new string of problems." I automatically tightened my wings.

"Thank you." I said, letting my gaze drop to the scarlet bed. "Sorry for the trouble; I'll"

"Answer my question now? Good, 'cause I'm sitting on the edge of my seat here." He interrupted. I swallowed hard, but said nothing. "Hey, come on now; I answered your question. It's only fair." He pressed.

"Right; vampire." I played along, "Which is why you're walking in the sun right now." He held up his hand and wiggled a silver ring.

"Wiccan specialty." Footsteps sounded from outside, "but it was buy one get one free." The door opened. "Stephen!" He said overzealously. "Great to see you. Oh, leaving so soon? Too bad, ba-bye now." He added with a wave of his hand. The other man, Stephen, glared at him before turning his attention to me. Something about him reminded me of an abused puppy.

"You'll have to excuse my brother; he can get so caught up with his own aims, he tends to forget about things like manners." He said as he handed me an apple. Damon's lips twitched in an annoyed smirk. I thanked him and took it. "Just let me know if you need anything." I nodded and bit into the sweet fruit. A few long seconds passed in a deafening silence and they just watched me. Blood rushed to my cheeks as I carefully studied the comforter again.

Finally I sighed in defeat and gave them a pouting glare before stretching out my wings. Stephen's brows pulled together as though troubled, but Damon seemed to soften.

"I don't understand." Stephen murmured, "You're human." I stretched them a bit before pulling them back loosely behind me, so they were still in sight. "How?"

"Yes, how? Go on, Thea; can't you see us dying in anticipation?" Damon added. I couldn't help but chuckle at the pun. Then the silence cascaded down again.

"I don't know." I finally whispered. "I've had them since birth. My mother too."

"What about your father?" Stephen asked. I shrugged.

"I never met my father." And I took another bite of the apple.

"Aren't you going to be late for school, or something?" Damon said, annoyed. Stephen glared at him before glancing back at me and leaving.

"He goes to school?" I asked. I was beginning to get use to Damon's extravagant use of expressions.

"It's a long story. About a girl." He added, like that explained it all. I chuckled and pushed myself up with just a tiny grunt of discomfort. "Hey, what are you doing?" He asked, suddenly at my side as I swung my legs out of the bed.

"Throwing this away." I explained motioning to the apple core. He immediately took it from me and chucked it out the window. By the time he'd turned back to me I was on my feet, wings flared slightly for balance.

"Now what are you doing?" He asked, suddenly right beside me making my heart flutter painfully.

"If it's alright with you," I drawled, "I'd like to use your restroom."

"I guess that's alright." He shot back playfully. Still, he hovered protectively over me as I tried to take the first step and I was glad for it, because my leg caved. Instantly, his hands grabbed me so I fell gently against him. "Can't say I didn't see that one coming." He muttered with a loaded smile. My hands clutched his shirt as I struggled to regain control of my traitorous legs. My shirt slid a few inches down my arm, reminding me of the new tear in the back.

"Ready?" He asked once my shaking legs were beneath me. Blood rushed to my cheeks and I nodded. He slowly led me across the room to the bathroom. I placed a steadying hand on the counter and thanked him as I closed the door and relieved myself. As I'd hoped, he was waiting for me when I was done and immediately helped me back to the bed.

"So; where're you from?" he asked once I was safely sitting down. I absently stretched a wing in front of me and began toying the feathers.

"My mother and I moved around a lot. I think I was in Illinois a few days ago." My fingers systematically moved over the delicate fibers as I spoke.

"Do you know where you are now?" he asked, stretching out beside me on the bed to watch.

"Ohio?" I guessed.

"Nope. Virginia." I couldn't help but smile proudly.

"I made better time than I thought." I gloated, smoothing out another feather.

"You had a storm on your side." He dismissed; ego still bruised from earlier, earning a quiet laugh from me.

"What are you doing?" he asked after a moment's silence.

"Preening." I replied as I pulled a loose feather out and set it on the bed. "Last's night's soaking did a number on my wings. If I don't take care of them, the feathers will get all raggedy and I won't be able to fly." He picked up the feather and spun it between his fingers before playing with the soft fibers. "Don't you preen as a raven?" I asked, remembering the glossy black bird. He gave a half shrug and shook his head.

"I generally only take that form for a few minutes." He put the feather on the end table and sat up. After a few more minutes of watching me, he carefully reached out and toyed with a feather at the base of my wings. His touch was hesitant at first, but his fingers quickly fell into a soothing rhythm.

"Oh my god, do I feel a bonding moment coming on?" He joked.

"Oh my god, could you have ruined it any quicker?" I shot back with a smile. Still, I couldn't help but lean into the touch.

"Did your mom ever mention anything about Native Americans?" he pressed after a few moments, "Mayans, in particular." I thought hard for a moment before answering.

"She taught me some basic history, but nothing that offered any answers. She vaguely mentioned a few times that Native Americans were suppose to have some supernatural power, though. That's it; sorry." His fingers never stopped working, but I could feel his mind spinning.

"Where is she?" Instantly, my body deflated. He hesitated just a moment before breathing an apologetic, "Oh." He finished one of the secondary feathers and go to his feet. "Well, only one thing for that, then." He leaned over, opened the night stand, and pulled out a glass bottle.

"Classy." I said, smiling. He smirked, took a swig, and passed it to me. I drew it to my lips and hesitated a moment. "I have absolutely no tolerance. You are warned." And I drank.

"Alright; a drunk bird girl is a happy bird girl." He took it back for another sip.

"Tell me; is it true what they say?" I asked, taking the glass back.

"Yes." He said seriously, "Once you go vamp, you never go back." Already my stomach felt warm and I giggled.

"No; all the lore!" I specified. "Like crosses and garlic and, well, obviously not coffins."

"ugh!" He fell back heavily on the bed. "No; we don't sparkle!" Laughter filled my ears before I realized I was laughing. The tremendous ache from my bruised muscles was easily ignored. "And, unlike you, we have a huge tolerance, sadly." He added, taking the glass from my hand.

"Ah!" I interjected, "I warned you."

"Yes you did. I'll have to take you more seriously next time. You've had, what, three drinks?" I bit back the giggle.

"It's got something to do with the" I flapped my wings slightly, "thing. I'm built really light and my metabolism is supercharged." I gestured to my stomach, emphasizing some epic strength. He chuckled. "So I absorb everything thoroughly, and, because of my size, a little goes a long way." Again he laughed.

"You realize you're already slurring your words." He said; downing what was left of the alcohol.

"Am not." I pouted. With a hard flap, I got to my feet.

"Woah, there." He exclaimed, suddenly at my side. I stumbled back in surprise and his arms immediately wrapped around me. "You may be feeling a bit better, but you still shouldn't be moving around too much."

"But you're out." I said innocently, motioning to the now empty glass. "And I want to see the rest of your house. Besides, I'm fine; fast healer." I gloated with a smile.

"Which is why you managed to walk all of half a step ten minutes ago." Halfway through his sentence, I was giggling madly. "Jesus, you're really already drunk."

"Ah," I held up a correcting finger, "Tipsy. This isn't me drunk yet." I wagged my finger and giggled again; thoroughly enjoying the floating sensation from the alcohol. "Come on!" I shouted, playing tugging him toward the door; but even intoxicated, that was too much for my back and stomach, and my body tensed as the daggers resurfaced.

"Thea?" Damon called. I swallowed hard and gave him a hard smile.

"Fine, just pulled the wrong way." I assured him. He gave me a 'yeah; sure' smile and gently guided me back to the bed.

"But, I want to explore." I pouted, still looking at the door.

"You can explore all you want when you're better. Right now, it's time to rest, alright?" He said slowly. "I'll get a refill and be right back." I nodded and laid against the soft pillows, suddenly feeling very heavy. My eyes began to slide shut almost instantly. He chuckled and started for the door. Just as he reached it, though, I suddenly felt like there was something deathly important I needed to tell him.

"Damon!" I called, almost frantically. He threw himself back mid-step and met my gaze. What was I going to say? It was important. I was sure it was important; but it was gone. I finally just smiled and shook my head with a dismissive, "nothing."

"You sure?" he asked, seemingly trying to dissect me with his eyes. I nodded.

"Thank you." I whispered and settled back against the soft pillows. He drew his brows together, but nodded.

"You're welcome." And he left. I sighed and looked at the window. I should leave. And my escape was a mere twenty feet from me. Just leave, without a second thought. But it really was a comfortable bed…

* * *

Footsteps. My eyes slid open. A dream? Again I heard them. No, they were real. A glass of water and a white pill had been placed on the night stand beside a note.

_Ran out for a bite. Don't get out of bed._

_ Damon_

At first I chuckled at the pun; then realized he may not have been joking. If he was gone, then it must have been Stephen rummaging about downstairs. I should thank him for earlier, and apologize for how rude I was.

Carefully, I slid out from under the heavy comforter, and got to my feet. While definitely noticeable, the pain radiating from my stomach and back wasn't as bad as before, and my muscles proved reliable. Wings flared for balance, I started toward the door. The longer I stood, the steadier I became, and I confidently made my way down the hall to the top of the staircase. Movement caught my eye, and my lips started to form a greeting, but it wasn't Stephen. Immediately, my defenses flared as I studied her. Adrenaline instantly flooded through me.

Petite with long brown hair and a pretty face. She seemed harmless, but she was an intruder. What if she was a vampire hunter? Or a vampire herself? I wasn't going to wait to find out. With a silent flap, I soared over the railing and glided to the living room where she nonchalantly grabbed a book.

"What are you doing here?" I shouted once my wings were safely tucked behind me. The girl gasped and spun around, dropping the book. Her eyes widened and she took a step back.

"Who are you?" she asked, reaching for a silver pendant that hung delicately around her slender neck. Thief. Everything about her screamed that she knew she'd been caught and wasn't supposed to be there.

"Get out of here." I ordered. "Now!" She scrambled back until she hit a desk.

"What are you doing here?" she asked; trying to sound strong, but her voice trembled slightly. I watched her silently; waiting for any show of aggression. "What do you want with Stephen?" I didn't try to hide the confusion her words created.

"Stephen? What are you talking about? You're the intruder." I accused with less certainty than I'd hoped.

"Me? You're the one that came out of nowhere yelling." She shot back. My cheeks flushed brightly. Understanding dawned on me and I nearly drowned in embarrassment.

"You're Stephen's girl." I said. She nodded; her hand tightening around the hilt of a letter opener. "I'm sorry," I exclaimed, "I thought you were a thief or hunter or something. Damon didn't mention anyone but he and Stephen would be here."

"Hunter?" alarm shown in her eyes. "Who are you?"

"Sorry, um, my name is Athena. Thea for short." I answered quickly. "I met Damon last night in the woods. The stormed banged me up a bit, so he took me here."

"Damon… found you in the woods… and brought you here." She restated doubtfully. I nodded. "I think you should leave." She said sternly, eyes darting to the door. She didn't believe me.

"I'm sorry I attacked you. It was just a misunderstanding." I took a submissive step towards her, but she immediately lashed out; slashing with the letter opener. I tried to step back and avoid it, but it nicked my arm. My wings instantly lashed out and threw myself back as a bright red drop fell to the floor. A scream filled the room. I looked at her with wide eyes as she clutched the small knife and stared at me, terrified. "Wait, I can explain!" I shouted, pressing my arm against my chest.

The door was suddenly thrown open. Followed by simultaneous shouts.

"Thea!"

"Elena!" Instantly, warmth engulfed me.

"Damon!" I cried, "I'm sorry, I didn't know who she was!" My hand shot to his sleeve.

"Are you alright?" Stephen asked the girl.

"I'm fine. But she's…"

"I told you to stay in bed." Damon whispered, holding me protectively against him.

"I know; it's a long story." Stephen explained.

"You're cut." Damon stated.

"I'm sorry; I didn't know she… so I attacked her." I said guiltily.

"You attacked her, and you got hurt?" He asked skeptically.

"I thought she was one of Catherine's." Elena explained, putting the knife back on the desk. The adrenaline was fading and weariness was beginning to pull on me.

"Catherine?" I asked. Damon shook his head.

"Long story. Really long." He said dismissively.

"What is she?" Elena asked Stephen.

"That is the mystery." Damon interrupted, "we're now sure yet." I pulled my wings tight against my back, breathing hard. My leg faltered, but Damon easily caught me. "Alright, I think that's enough excitement for one day." He said, effortlessly sweeping me up in his arms. My wings shot out in an attempt to steady myself, and my arms wrapped around his broad shoulders.

"I'm sorry." I whispered into his neck. I could hear Stephen and Elena talking behind us.

"For what?" He asked happily. I couldn't answer. With the adrenaline gone, exhaustion again overwhelmed me. I was asleep before he'd reached the top of the stairs.


	3. Wonderfully Terrible

Yah for cuteness and bonding! Next chapter, the boggiemen come!

**Wonderfully Terrible**

Unbelievable, perfect comfort. I'd never felt so safe, so calm, so relaxed. Something was absently stroking that wonderfully sensitive spot between my wings. I couldn't help but lean into the touch as my wings slowly slid from my back.

"Morning, sunshine." The words rumbled against my cheek, and for just a second I startled and jumped up, but those cursed fingers continued to play with that sensitive skin and, before my vision even cleared, I collapsed back against him, completely limp. With something like a groan, my back arched slightly into him.

"Interesting." He drawled jokingly. I half-heartedly threw an arm out to try to push him away, but he completely ignored it.

"Stop, I can't move" is what I tried to say, but the incoherent mumbles the words became left Damon laughing hardily.

"You wanna try that again?" he chuckled.

"You wanna stop so I can?" I tried to reply, but again the 'words' were lost into what I realized was his shirt. The perfect comfort I was lying on was his chest. This would have bothered me if I could think straight. With slightly more determination, I again flailed an arm to bat his hand away. With a chuckle, he complied. For a few more, terribly blissful moments, I was still lost in the empty ecstasy that touch had created. Finally, I managed to roll off of him.

With a groan, I pulled my wings in and half sat up. His lips were still smirking and his eyes shown with amusement. I managed a weak glare.

"I found a good spot." He gloated. "I bet if you were a dog, you're leg would have been hammering away."

"No, it's not like that." I mumbled, purposely angling my back away from him.

"Oh? Then what is it?" he asked; expression suddenly devious. A little voice in the back of my mind was screaming not to tell him, but he'd given me no reason not to trust him. Hell, he'd helped me quite a bit and asked for nothing in return. Aside from answers, that is. Answers I couldn't give.

"You know when you lift a cat by their scruff? How they go totally limp? Well, it releases a flood of endorphins to essentially sedate them. It's the same thing." I explained wearily as I rubbed my eyes and yawned, still groggy from the aftermath.

"Really?" Everything about him was suddenly mischievous, and I leaned a bit away from him. "So just touching that spot gets the happy juice flowing?" His smile grew and my eyes widened.

"No." I warned; wings already flared. With a laugh, he lunched and I flapped hard, throwing me from the bed. I hit the ground running. "No, Damon!" I shouted as I reached the door, but his arms were already wrapped me. I started to say him name again, but his fingers ghosted to that wonderful, terrible spot; far too accessible from the torn shirt. I managed to struggle for just a second before the endorphins overwhelmed me. My eyes slid half-closed, my wings and shoulders slumped, and my legs caved.

Damon held me carefully against him as his body convulsed with laughter. Weakly, I forced my muscles to work, if only a little. My hand snaked to his arm, struggling vainly to pull him away from me as my feet scraped uselessly against the floor. And yet, a stupid, blissful smile tugged at my lips.

Footsteps. Weakly, I looked at the door to see Stephen and Elena standing at the ready. Blood rushed to my cheeks and I managed another weak attempt to push him away. Vaguely, I realized they were talking. Stephen asked what he was doing, and Elena demanded my release. And Damon was still laughing through it all. I couldn't help but notice the way his eyes lit up when he looked at her.

"Relax, she's fine." He assured them; something about his almost mocking voice deepened my blush. "Look." And his fingers stopped. For a short moment, I was still lost in the wave of endorphins. Finally, I twitched my wing experimentally. It obeyed perfectly, so I gave a sudden barrage of hard flaps and tore away from him, launching myself toward the window, and spun to face them; breathing hard. Damon fell down, trembling violently. I glared at him; but that only fueled his hysteria. Elena and Stephen stood unsure at the door.

"I… she's a kitten!" Damon burst. My feathers ruffled defensively and I shot daggers at him. He managed to get a hold of himself, and slowly rolled to his feet.

"Damon." I warned again. I told him because I trusted him and felt I owed him some answers. I didn't know or trust the others. That spot was a weakness and not meant to be public knowledge. He chuckled, but nodded.

"It's nothing; really. Go back to your game of spin the bottle." Damon said dismissively. They both looked at me. My face was on fire, but I nodded, crossing my hands in front of my chest. With a warning glare to Damon, they retreated. After they were gone, he turned his gaze back to me, obviously still struggling to silence himself. I pointedly looked away.

"Oh come on; don't be mad." Damon pleaded; voice still rich with laughter. "If it were the other way around you would have done the same thing, and you know it." I pouted, but met his gaze, admitting the truth of his words. Grinning madly, he walked toward me, arms open. "Forgive me?" he asked, stopping he was just a foot from me. I glared again, but leaned against him with a silent 'yes.' One arm wrapped around me, but the other hesitated. I managed a gasp and just a single hard flap before falling limp against him as he again stroked my back, choking back the howls. He bowed his face against the top of my head as he laughed.

"I'm sorry, but it's just adorable!" He snickered. My vision blurred, but I laughed too. My hand weakly clutched his wrist and I leaned against him for support.

"You're an asshole." I muttered, drawing a few more chuckles from him. "If you don't stop, I'm going to fall asleep." While some of the words were completely incoherent, he got the gist and gently lifted me against him, fingers still caressing that marvelous spot. Accepting my defeat, my hands weakly grabbed his shirt and I buried my face in the crook of his neck with a content sigh. I knew I had to leave soon, so I resolved to enjoy it while it lasted. He scoffed happily and headed for the bed. His long, even stride almost instantly lolled me to sleep.

* * *

It was well after sunset when I woke. Silence reigned over the house. With a sad smile, I pushed myself from the bed. It was time to leave. Already I'd stayed here far too long. I would have to fly hard to make up for these lost days to escape the shadow men. I quietly rummaged through Damon's dresser and pulled out a plain, black shirt. He probably wouldn't even notice it missing. I cut two long lines in the back and replaced my tattered shirt with it. To my delight, in the same drawer I found an old hoodie and slipped into it as well. With such an outfit, my wings were hidden, but easily accessible. Without a second glance, I opened the window and jumped. Maybe I would run across him again. I hoped I would, if only to express my gratitude.

The skies were clear directly overhead, but an angry storm was approaching from the north and the raging winds clearly foretold its ferocity. Still, it was calmer than the storm from a few nights ago, and I headed east.

After just a few miles, something caught my attention. I didn't hear it; just a tickle; nagging at the edge of my senses. Friendly. Somehow, I knew it was friendly. Immediately, I changed my course with a smile. I don't know how, but I knew it was Damon. With a few hard flaps, I slowed nearly to a hover and gently descended through the trees. He was walking absently toward the mansion, and I managed a nearly silent landed just behind him. Lost in thought, he didn't notice.

"You don't have any kind of attachment to this shirt, do you?" I mocked with a smile. In the same heartbeat, a hand was latched around my throat before I could utter a squeak. As fast as it had come, the hand was gone.

"Jesus Christ!" he exclaimed, backing up several steps, "Don't sneak up on me like that!" Angry as he tried to be, I could hear the amusement in his voice. "You okay?" I chuckled, but nodded.

"Hell of a hello." I choked; rubbing my neck.

"You should know better than to sneak up on a vampire." He retorted as he pushed my hand away to take a better look at my neck. "What are you doing out here, anyway? I was just on my way back."

"I'm fine," I assured him; moving his hand away with a sad smile. My eyes fell for a moment before returning his gaze. "I have to go." His smile fell. He seemed to try and say a few things at once before settling on,

"Why?"

"I know it seems like a bogyman delusion, but the Shadow Men are real and they're after me." I begged him to understand as I released his hand.

"All the more reason to stay here. I can"

"No," I interrupted. "This is my problem, and I'll deal with it." I was silent for a moment, struggling with what to say. "Thank you." He seemed taken aback at first; almost insulted. Unsure what else to say, I flared my wings and took a step back.

"That's it?" He nearly shouted. "'Thank you'? Come on, I deserve more than that." His words were purely a stall, and we both knew it. Still, I stretched a wing in front of me and plucked a primary feather with a small wince. I studied how the beautiful blue faded to russet before finally ending in a white tip, and handed it to him.

"I'm sorry. I have nothing else." I paused a moment before adding, "If I ever find the answer to your question, you'll be the first one I tell; promise." He took the feather and swallowed, eyes hard, lips firmly set. "Goodbye." With a final smile, I turned and leapt into the cold night sky; wings pumping powerfully, elegantly; catching the air beneath them and using it to climb quickly through the trees. When I'd reached halfway up the trees, I gave a quick glance back. He finally tore his gaze from the feather, turned, and left. I would see him again. I was sure of it. I turned back and flapped hard.


	4. Captured

Hi everyone! Time for a bit of action! The next couple chapter will have a lot more plot stuff. Enjoy! Or don't... either way, I'd love your input!

**Captured**

The next few minutes seemed to happen in just a terrifying, split second. An explosion sounded to my left. I instantly tried to maneuver back, but I wasn't fast enough. With heart stopping clarity, I realized it was a net. I screamed and thrashed desperately to break from the impenetrable rope even as I fell careening to the forest floor. Something grabbed the top of the net and yanked me to the side, slamming me against a branch. Horrified, I realized it was a man that had caught the net. Black, soulless eyes. Moving but screaming of death. No; no! The Shadow men! A chorus of shrieks filled the air, more avian that human.

Desperately, I scrambled for my knife. Men were laughing; prideful and eager, distracted as I sawed through several cords. Just as they started to move, I flung myself through the hole. Enraged shouts. Flapping hard, I rocketed toward the ground, away from them.

"Thea!" No! Damon!

"No!" I shouted, "Run!" He _was_ running, with impossible speed, straight towards me. "Get out of" Something slammed against my back, forcing the air from my lungs and sending me crashing to the ground, launching the knife from my grasp. For just a second, everything was black, but still I was a frenzy of limbs, struggling desperately to get airborne. A sickening crunch sounded above me, and the weight was gone. Hands. Pulling me. Again, I screamed even as they helped me to my feet.

"Thea, it's me!" He shouted. Instantly, I sought those ice blue eyes.

"Damon!" I shouted, "No! No; you have to get out of here!" My hands grabbed him and I tried vainly to drag him with me.

"Where do you think you're going, bitch?" Horrified, I spun to face the source of the cold voice just as something knocked my feet out from beneath me and wrapped tightly around my ankles. I struggled desperately to rid myself of the bola. When I looked back at the man, his skin was turning black and the veins were protruding all over his body. A thick piece of wood was sticking out of his chest.

"It's alright; I've got you." Damon murmured, suddenly beside me again, as he effortless tore the bola to shreds and helped me to my feet.

"Get lost, runt; this one's ours." Someone ordered. Damon turned; rage radiating from him. There were still three of them. That's all I could see, at least; though I was sure more were waiting in the trees.

"I don't think so." And he was suddenly right in front of them. At some point, he'd grabbed a fallen branch, which he effortlessly embedded deep in the chest of the nearest man. Without missing a beat, he retracted the branch and stabbed it into the charging man to his right as he spun behind the already decaying vampire and, with a hard kick, launched him into the last one. Before he could recover, Damon buried the branch deep within his chest. Vampires. All of them. A stake through the heart, and they fell.

Something flew through the air above him. I shouted, but it was too late. The tip of the sharpened wood was just visible through his chest. I tried to run to him; deaf to my own frantic shrieks, but another net plowed into me, throwing me to the side. Vaguely, I realized I was screaming his name as I desperately tried to reach for him. More laughter. He tried to push himself to his feet, but immediately fell back down.

Something like confusion and agony stole over his eyes as he struggled to see me. Once more I screamed his name; then something struck my head and everything was black.

* * *

The next few days were composed of brief moments of consciousness. But it was always dark. And it was always cold. A bathroom. I had been trapped in a bathroom. My hands were bound high above me head by a rough rope that had already rubbed my wrists raw. More ropes were tied around my torso, locking my wings against my back.

The first time they came; they just watched me; shouting threats and taunts. Then the leader came in. A knife gleamed in his hand. When he was close enough, I grabbed the ropes, tucked my knees into my stomach and kicked at him as hard as he could. It was like kicking a stone wall. And he just laughed. And he slashed with the knife; shredding cloth and skin alike. He tore the remains of clothing from me and dragged his tongue hungrily across the fresh wounds before attacking me viciously. That was the first time.

My frantic shouts and cries of pain only fueled their desire as the days past and the visits became more frequent. Always in groups. Sometimes with knifes. Sometimes with whips. They beat me. And raped me. And tore my flesh to drink. Sometimes they would come which syringes and take blood away with them, but never before pleasing themselves.

Once they staked a vampire right in front of me and held his darkening lips to a fresh cut as they saturated his wound with my blood. Something about a myths and familiars. It failed. And they were angry. So angry. I thought I would die from how they beat me. I hoped I would die. Better to be dead and free, than trapped in this world of nightmares; and Damon. God, Damon; was he still in the forest? Did Stephen find him? It was my fault. Because I'd stayed, he was dead. That knowledge hurt more than the angry fists and fangs from the men.

The door opened. I closed my eyes and my heart hammered in my chest; knowing that they were back. They were back and they were going to hurt me. To use me and drink from me and beat me. A loud thud caught my attention. My eyes cracked open. A man was sprawled out on the ground, skin black and shriveling. With wide eyes, I looked at the figure standing in the doorway. And my heart stopped. Like ice. His eyes were blue like ice. Damon. I sobbed his name and, instantly, his arms were around me, the restraints shattered.

"Shh, it's alright now," he murmured as I clung to him, "I've got you." No; the shadow men! They were coming! He had to get away! I wasn't sure if I actually spoke the words, or just thought them, but he seemed to understand. "It's alright, come on; just hold onto me." He instructed softly as he wrapped his jacket around me; already pulling me toward the door.

"But you were dead." I cried. He chuckled.

"That idiot got the wrong side." I almost laughed. "Now, come on; let's get you out of here." As gentle as he could, he rushed me out the door and down a corridor. I tried to run beside him, but my legs were worthless, and he ended up supporting most of my weight.

"Where do you think you're going?" Someone shouted. My blood turned to ice. I knew that voice. The alpha. Suddenly, I was thrown against the wall. Damon staggered back, confusion painted across his face. The alpha stood towering before him. Eyes black. Hand wrapped around the end of a stake. That was buried deep in Damon's chest. Damon. No; his skin turned black and his veins began to protrude.

I didn't hear my shout as I flung myself at the alpha. My hand locked around one of the stakes in the holsters around his hips that I'd never seen before. And, with speed I didn't have and strength my muscles simply didn't possess, I forced the wood through his heart.

Before he'd managed to process his own death, I'd spun back to Damon. His body was convulsing and he was gasping desperately. Without thinking, I yanked the stake from his chest.

"Damon! Damon, look at me!" I shrieked. With almost unseeing eyes, he met my gaze. "You need to drink!" I shouted holding my wrist to his lips. The tremors were beginning to subside. Without a moment's hesitation, I grabbed the alpha's knife and slashed at my wrist. "Come on, Damon, drink!" I begged, dripping the blood into his mouth. His head started to fall back. "Damon!"

A fleeting memory. They'd soaked the wound with blood too. I grabbed the knife with my other hand and squeezed hard, digging the blade into my flesh. The warm liquid drenched my palm and I pressed it hard against his chest, tightening my muscles as hard as I could to guide more blood to the wounds. His lips twitched. Agonizing seconds passed. Another twitch. His eyes opened for just a moment. "That's it!" I nearly sobbed. "Come on, drink!" His brows drew together over darkening eyes and his lips locked around my wrist. I could have died with relief.

The edges of my vision stained in black. I said nothing. I didn't try to pull away as his icy fangs sank into my wrist. Ice. Yes. It was cold. But it didn't matter. Because the decay was retreating from Damon's skin. And I could feel the strength returning to his limbs. With a sigh, I fell against him and, just seconds later, my eyes slid together.

* * *

I vaguely realized I was conscious. In the same heartbeat, I shot up, expecting to find a horde of vampires surrounding me.

"Hey, hey, easy." Ignoring the earth shattering dizziness, I flung away from the voice; heart racing painfully in my chest. "Thea, look at me." Softly spoken words. Hands easing the hair from my face and carefully holding my shoulder to steady me. Gentle hands. I fought to clear my suddenly blurry vision. God, it felt like my head was going to explode. But I found them. Soft blue eyes. My hand flew to his, as though to prove he was really there.

"Damon?" I barely whispered. His lips tugged up in a smirk.

"One and only." My arms instantly shot around him and I sobbed. He returned the embraced, softly at first, but his arms tightened, as though an attempt to still my trembling body. "Easy, I've got you." He murmured, his hand gently stroking my hair.

"I thought you were dead." I whimpered against his chest.

"What?" he ask, leaning back just enough to look at me.

"I thought you were dead." I said again, looking into his ice blue eyes. For just a split second his façade fell and something about his expression broke my heart. But, just as quickly as it fell, his smile was back.

"Hate to break it to you, but I am dead." He shrugged a fake apology, "comes with the whole 'vampire' thing." My sobs turned into laughter and I pressed my head against his chest; fingers clutching his shirt. Without another word, he buried his face in my hair and sighed. His hand roamed up and down my back soothingly. I didn't notice his fingers creep between my wings until I was suddenly, inexplicably happy and my body went limp against him. He chuckled softly as he held me. I couldn't help but laugh quietly with him. When my breathing leveled out, he gently guided me back to the bed.

"You lost a lot of blood yesterday; you need to rest." He whispered. Weakly, my hand managed to grab his shirt. He hesitated and met my flickering gaze.

"Damon," I breathed, "Thank you… saved me from the bad men."


	5. Hiding in Shadows

Time for some paranoia and comfort. I'm a total sucker for it! Please R&R!

**Hiding in Shadows**

_The door opened. I couldn't hold back the scream as they flooded in. Hands everywhere. Rough hands. Teeth tearing at my flesh. No, don't touch me! Laughter. Dirty little whore. No! Filthy slut. Leave me alone! Ropes and wires and knives, paddles, whips, clubs, fists, stop it; don't touch me!_ _Again, I screamed._

"Thea!" My eyes flew open; limbs already struggling against the restrictive hands holding me down. My wings flapped madly, desperate to escape the man's iron grasp. Once again, the series of avian shrieks tore from my throat as I flung myself toward the window. An arm wrapped around my chest and locked me against someone. Feathers swirled around us like tiny fireballs. Trapped! I was trapped! No! I won't let you hurt me again!

"Damon, get over here now! She's having a panic attack!" I heard the words, but nothing registered. "What? … Alright." Something carefully rubbed against the skin between my wings and my blood turned to ice. With every ounce of strength I had, I spun around and slammed my fist into his nose. For a split second, he was stunned, giving me just enough time to break from his hold.

"Not working!" he shouted before throwing his phone behind him and dashing after me. Just a foot separated me from the window, from freedom, when he caught me. A high pitched screech tore through me and my limbs flailed wildly in an attempt to break free, but his hold never wavered. Vaguely, I realized he was speaking to me; soft words; empty; lies!

Movement. We were moving. He was dragging me away. No! Let me go! I started to reach for my mother's knife, but it was gone. With a grunt, he shoved me back and slammed a door. Dark. It was dark. I threw myself desperately at the door. My heart felt like it would burst from my chest. Not again! Please, not again! My fists pounded against the walls, trying vainly to find a weak spot. Something shattered and white hot pain flared through my hands, drawing another cry from my already hoarse throat. Tucking my screaming hands against my chest, I continue to ram into the door with my shoulder, but it wouldn't budge. Nothing. No escape. My pants became desperate whimpers. I was trapped. And it was dark. Trembling, I stepped back; waiting for them to come. For the monsters to come. And the pain. A wall met my back.

"Where is she?" Another wave of adrenaline painfully fled from my heart. Mad. They were mad. I slid to the floor, curling my arms over my head; my mangled hands trembling; unable to quiet the terrified whimpers.

"I had to lock her in the bathroom."

"What? Damn it, that's what they did at the camp!" It was always worse when they were mad.

"I'm sorry; I didn't know what else to do." I didn't hear the terrible guilt in his voice.

"Just get out of here!" For a moment there was silence, then retreating footsteps. I listened hard; hoping beyond hope that they were gone. A tapping on the door shattered those hopes and made me flinch violently.

"Thea?" A soft voice called. This was it. They were coming. "I'm going to open the door now." My muscles tensed and my body tried to curl into a tiny ball; so tiny that I'd disappear; so small they wouldn't see me. The door slowly opened and the whimpers started again, knowing they would find me. Blinding light spilled into the small room. A sharp inhalation followed by a breathy, "Jesus." Something warm slid down my arms. Slow footsteps. A gentle touch on my shoulder, but I flinched as though I'd been struck with a terrified cry.

"Thea," he called, "Thea; come on, honey, open your eyes." A hand carefully touched the side of my head. Immediately, I jerked away from it. "Athena." A soft whisper. Frozen in terror, all I could do was tremble. A long sigh and arms wrapped around me. Automatically, my body lashed out and desperately fought the hold.

"Shh, shh, shh; it's alright." That voice. "I've got you." I know that voice. His hands delicately trailed through my hair, as though if he were too rough, I would shatter. With a start, I realized I would. "Come on, baby; look at me." Gently, he cupped my cheek and guided my face toward his. Hesitantly, I cracked my eyes opens open; just a sliver. Ice blue eyes. My heart faltered.

"Hey," he whispered with a smile; carefully tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. I tried to say his name, but only managed a few broken sounds. "Shh; it's alright." He whispered, gently pulling me back against him.

"I'm sorry." I sobbed into his chest. His arms tightened suddenly. With a tense hand, he carefully raised my face to meet his gaze. His eyes were hard, haunted, and his jaw taunt.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Thea." He said sternly. It almost seemed his voice was close to breaking. "You hear me?" His thumb absently wiped the fallen tears from my cheek. Shaking violently, my hand slowly touched his chin, his jaw, his cheek; this man that saved me and gave me strength; and I nodded. He sighed and redoubled his embrace; lying his cheek on the top of my head. After a few blissfully still moments, the agony in my hands made themselves known again.

"Damon." I suddenly felt so small; helpless. He looked at me and laid his hand on the back of my head. "Hurts." I whispered, motioning to my trembling hands. He carefully grabbed my wrist and took a closer look at the deep gashes.

"I bet." I replied. "Hang on." Effortlessly, he lifted me up and sat me on the toilet seat before digging through the cabinets. My head instantly began to swim and my stomach dipped violently. It felt like I was about to fall off the seat, and the room began to spin.

"Hey, you alright?" Damon asked, placing a steadying hand on my back, "You're swaying all over the place." I shook my head, unable even to look up at him. "Alright, just lean forward." He murmured, carefully guiding me down. "I'm going to turn on the light, so close your eyes." Again I shook my head, sure that if I closed my eyes, even for a second, I would topple over. "Just for a second, Thea." He promised. Again I shook my head.

"'ll fall." I whispered; voice trembling; body trembling. He squatted in from of me and held my face in his hands.

"Hey, I'm not going to let that happen." He promised. I met his eyes; knowing how pitiful I looked, and hating it; and nodded. He gently held his hand over my eyes as he stood and flipped the switch. I bit hard as a tremor through me. "I know," soft words, "let me just clean you up and you can go to sleep." Sleep. Where the monsters were.

No, no. Was I mumbling? They would find me again. They would find me and hurt me. Please; don't let them find me again. I think he was calling my name. I didn't want to be alone anymore. Please.

"Thea; Thea look at me." He nearly begged, again cradling my head in his hands. With unsteady eyes, I met his heart-breaking gaze. "I'm right here." He told me, gently tightening his hands. "And I'm not going anywhere." He promised. He promised. My eyelids faltered. And fell.


	6. Dance With Me

One of my favorite chapters so far! Can't imagine why...

**Dance With Me**

Something was tenderly caressing the sensitive spot between my wings. Light bled through my eyelids, but I didn't want to wake up yet. It was marvelous to be trapped in that state half-way between sleeping and waking. A quiet sound rumbled beneath me, and my eyes shot open. The terror instantly dissipated, though, as my gaze fell on Damon's calm face. He was sleeping. Even in his sleep, his fingers touched me so gently. Another soft rumble and I couldn't quiet the giggle. His arms tensed for a moment, and his eyes opened. I bit my lips, trying, and failing, to maintain silence.

"And what's got you all giggly so early in the morning?" He grumbled with a smirk. I rested my chin on his chest and gave him a coy smile.

"You snore." I whispered. He immediately frowned, cocked and eyebrow at me, then dismissed it and pulled me more on top of him, almost singing,

"Blasphemy!" He rolled onto his other side, gently taking me with him and hugged me to his chest. "The mighty Damon Salvator does not snore." He mumbled into my hair, making me laugh as his breath washed across my scalp. His fingers resumed they're merciless caresses and my body almost immediately went limp against him. He chuckled with mock vengeance; but then fell into a blissful silence.

"How are you?" he asked softly after a few moments. I looked up at him with drowsy eyes.

"Better." I whispered with a smile.

"'Better' is not a medically acceptable answer." He remarked. I snickered and hid my face against his chest a moment, before rolling away from him.

"Hey; no running away!" He exclaimed softly; tightening his arms around me.

"Ahh!" I pretended to cry, "no!" and playfully struggled to escape.

"Rar!" He gently caught my arms in his embrace and rolled on top of me with a wide, devious grin. For a moment, he was silent as his hand delicately smoothed the hair from my face; but the silence became deafening, and his smile fell. "Thea," he started and my heart began to race. "I'm"

"I want to go flying!" I interrupted; desperately trying to push back the panic threatening to consume me. Somehow, I knew he was going to bring up the Shadow Men. And I couldn't take that. Not yet. I couldn't go through that again when the wounds hadn't even begun to heal. I squirmed out from under him and got to my feet. He swallowed hard and rolled over to watch me. I subtly shook my head; begging him to understand. "I want to fly… please." I whispered. He got to his feet and stood just in front of me.

"Are you asking permission to fly, or are you asking me to come with you?" he said softly; every word saturated with multiple meaning. I could say nothing as my body began to tremble. Please. Not yet. I can't do it yet. He held the side of my face in his hand and smiled sadly. "Alright, let's go." I sighed in relief and nearly ran to the window. Just before I reached it, his hand tightened around mine, and he pulled me against him; holding me so tightly, I thought I would break. "I'm right here, Thea; just remember that."

And suddenly the window was open and a huge raven flew from the room. Stunned, I stood frozen for a long moment. Finally, I ran and flung myself after him.

The air caught me with the gentle yet desperate embrace of a long lost lover and lifted me high above the emerald forest. I closed my eyes and floated on the soft currents; blissful; empty; lost in this wondrous place that required no thoughts; no memories. With a smile, I opened my eyes, tucked my wings in, and dropped, spinning, for a few feet, before catching the air again and gliding effortlessly through the sky.

Something caught a strand of my hair and tugged gently. I looked up, a wide grin painted across my face, already knowing who it was. The ebony bird let out a quiet, musical caw and dashed away. Letting out a carefree laugh, I quickly turned after him. He caught my gaze just as I caught up with him; tucked his wings close to his body and dove. Without a moment's hesitation, I followed him; lost in the ecstasy of flying with another.

I began to level out and rise gently. He gave a few hard flaps and flew high above me. Without warning, he shot down just to the left of me. I instantly banked hard to the right and shot after him. He'd already spun around to meet my advance. Just before he ran into each other, we both turned hard; our wings nearly vertical. At the same time, we dove sharply toward the earth. In unison, we pulled up and angled toward each other. Our wingtips brushed delicately in passing and we gently turned north. He crossed in front of me and started a gradual bank. I mirrored him instantly.

With a challenging grin, I began to climb. Coming at me head on, he followed suit. The closer we got, the steeper are ascent became. For just a few feet, we were vertical, mere inches separating us. Just before stalling completely, I tucked my wings against my back and swan dove away from him, falling several feet headfirst before spreading my wings and leveling out. He had followed me exactly and passed inches above me. I banked sharply, as did he, and we flew wing tip to wing tip for several blissful seconds.

Just ahead of us, the sun glinted brilliantly off a huge lake. With a happy chuckle, I flapped hard; pushing myself just that much faster. When the lake was nearly beneath us, I flashed him a smile and dove hard, headfirst, to the radiant water. Without a moment's hesitation, the magnificent bird followed right beside me; never once letting the distance between us grow more than a foot. As if on cue, we simultaneously gave a hard flap to right ourselves before throwing our wings straight up and crashing into the lake.

The sudden silence that overwhelmed me and the breathtaking cold left my body tingling. The current alone lifted me quickly to the surface. Damon's rich laughter was the first thing to break the silence, followed immediately by my own. His eyes locked on mine, and he waded toward me.

"I haven't flown like that in… years!" he laughed.

"It shows." I mocked with a coy grin. He scoffed, pretending to be insulted. With an uncontrollable giggle, I splashed him with a wave of icy water and darted away, earning an 'outraged' cry as he shot after me. His arms almost instantly trapped me against him, making me squeal in delight and shock. I struggled vainly for a few short moments. He easily overpowered me and spun me around to face him. My attempts to free myself redoubled when I saw the devious look in his eyes.

"No, Damon! Not in the water!" I shouted with a hint of actual fear; wings flapping violently, uselessly; sending water droplets flying everywhere. He chuckled mischievously and, a moment later I was limp against him as his fingers danced between my now submerged wings.

"Don't you trust me?" He breathed into my ear. I weakly pulled back just enough to see his cool blue eyes. For a moment, I was silent; lost in the blissful content. From his touch. And his hold.

"Yes." I whispered. "I trust you." His fingers stopped and his smile fell. I blinked to clear my vision as the endorphins started to fade.

"Why?" he asked. His eyes had that look again. The one that broke my heart.

"Should I not?" I asked, confused. He delicately wiped a strand of hair from my face; averting his eyes.

"I don't know." He whispered. I smiled and pressed my cheek against his hand.

"So, should I trust you about not trusting you?" I asked, earning a quiet chuckle from him.

"I couldn't protect you." He said, finally meeting my eyes again. Instantly, I began to tremble and adrenaline raced through my chest. The men. The Shadow Men. That came in groups and took me and hurt me and used me. Where it was always dark and cold. Cold. It was cold. With wide eyes I looked at him, my head shaking.

"No; no, Damon, please." I begged through ragged, shallow breaths. "Not now. I can't… I can't…" The words were lost in the terror threatening to overwhelm me. I didn't hear him call my name and, when a hand touched my cheek, I couldn't help but flinch violently. My submerged wings automatically gave a hard flap and, suddenly, I was deep underwater. My diaphragm convulsed in a shocked gasp, flooding my lungs with the icy water. Still, I fought desperately against the hands that came from the dark unknown of the lake.

Suddenly I was jerked up into the blinding light. Violent coughs tore through me. If not for the adrenaline swarming through my veins, I was sure my bruised muscles would have screamed in agony. Warm arms latched around me, and we were moving unbelievably fast. My own choking panic deafened me to the words bathing my ears. In seconds, dry land was beneath me as I crumbled to my knees.

"Thea? Thea, can you hear me?" Someone was shouting. "Athena!" Eyes like ice. Familiar. Friendly. Panicked. Desperately, I reached for him as I struggled vainly to rid my lungs of the lake water. "This isn't going to feel good, but it'll help." He explained quickly before giving my back a few, hard slaps. The bruised flesh screamed in agony as the rest of the water was knocked from my burning lungs. Panting hard, my body curled into a tight ball; trembling violently with cold and pain and fear. Something wrapped tightly around me. At first, I flinched away, but the familiarity of the touch quickly had me clinging to him.

Silently, he held me as I fought to free my mind of the nightmare I was trapped in, but I couldn't. I couldn't fight back the overwhelming terror; the certainty that the Shadow Men were just behind the trees; that, the instant I was alone, they would have me again.

"Help," I begged in a sob. With an infinite, gentle strength, he held the back of my head and pressed his forehead against mine as he gazed into my eyes with unending concern and understanding. "I don't… I don't want to feel like this." My shaking hands gripped his soaked shirt desperately, because if I didn't, if I let go, I would be lost. "I don't want to be afraid anymore… please… help me."

Suddenly, his arms shot around me, crushing me against him. And his lips crashed into mine. So close to desperate; dancing so hazardously on the edge of losing control. Terrified, I kissed him back. Overwhelmed by the sudden, unbridled passion radiating from him; the nightmares faded. Still my body trembled beneath his touch, but the fear was gone. Panting, he pulled back; just an inch; almost as unwilling as I was to part.

"Thea," he breathed; voice hard, dancing on the cusp of breaking, "I will never, _never_ let anyone hurt you again." I knew how impossible such a promise was. I knew it was foolish. But he meant it. With every fiber of his being; he meant it. And I believed him. And, again, I was lost in his lips. The wild desperation was gone; replaced with something tender. I melted against him; the rest of the world forgotten.

Slowly, he pulled back. A gentle hand wiped a strand of hair behind my ear and he looked at me, eyes soft.

"You're shivering." He whispered. I hadn't noticed the terrible cold steal over my drenched body. It seemed too unimportant.

"I'm fine." I replied honestly. He scoffed.

"You're freezing." He corrected almost mockingly, and, softly, "come here." Gently, effortlessly, he held me against his chest and stood. "We need to head back anyways. Thanks to that little dip, I need to change your bandages." For the first time, I noticed the dressings covering my wounds, and the clothes I was wearing, which I could only assume were his. With a smile, I realized he'd even slit the back for my wings.

"Sorry." I whispered, looking at the ruined bandages.

"Sure you are." He drawled sarcastically. "Admit it; you just like making me work." I giggled and kissed him. We walked in silence for a moment while my mind was wonderfully empty. My extremities ached with the terrible cold, but it was easily drowned out by the bliss of his embrace.

"Thea?" he called, almost hesitantly.

"Hm?" I looked into his eyes, but he wouldn't meet mine and my heartbeat quickened.

"You saved my life." The bliss fled as I remembered with agonizing clarity how the black had crawled across his skin. "How? When a vampire is staked… I've never heard of coming back from that." The tremors suddenly intensified, but I fought back the panic; clinging to him for strength.

"You don't have to tell me now, but I'd like to know." He said, flicking concerned eyes to mine. No, I wouldn't let it control me anymore. Damon was holding me. I didn't have to be afraid.

"When," the word trembled more than I wanted, so I swallowed hard and started again. "When they had me, they talked about myths and legends; and something about familiars." He was suddenly completely serious; all of his attention on me. "They," I struggled to slow my breathing, "they staked one once; one of their own, right in front of me; and they," I could feel the icy blade, "they cut my neck," my hand strayed to the wound, now covered in wet cloth. "They tried to get him to… to drink. And they," I was barely breathing, "cut my wrist and soaked his wound with my blood." Still, the man continued to decay. "But it didn't work." And they beat me. They were so angry. But it wasn't my fault! "It wasn't my fault!"

"Alright," he whispered gently, snapping me from the trance. I instantly sought those gentle blue eyes. "That's enough." The alpha was dead, but what if that didn't stop them?

"Damon, what if they come back?" I barely breathed; as though, if I said it too loud, they would hear me. A lethal fire suddenly lit in his eyes, but his face retained that tender expression.

"I'll slaughter them." He said happily.

"There are too many, Damon. I'm serious"

"Me too." The façade was gone, replace by a wild fury so violent it sent a chill down my spine. "If they come back, Thea, I will make them regret the day they crawled from their mother's womb. And I'll smile while I do it." Never had I seen someone so dangerous. And never had I felt so safe. I fought desperately for logic.

"Damon, don't go looking for them." I urged. He was still for a while. "Please." His jaw tightened and he looked away with a sharp nod. "Promise me Damon." I demanded. He swallowed hard, but finally met my frantic eyes and sighed.

"I promise." He finally said. "But if they come looking for you, I'm going to have some fun." He added; cocking his eyebrows for emphasis. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Thank you." I whispered meaningfully. The tenderness returned to his expression and he kissed me softly before breaking through the line of trees shielding us from the manor. The sky was darkening with the falling sun when we started up the stairs.

"Damon." A male voice called as the door swung open.

"Stephen," Damon replied, mocking the seriousness of his brother's voice. "What wonderfully depressing thoughts do you have to share now?"

"We need to talk." His eyes darted to mine and my defenses automatically flared. "Thea," he greeted, "that was some dance up there." Even the complement filled me with distrust. Still, I gave him a quiet 'thanks' as I pressed subtly harder against Damon.

"Sure you do." Damon replied with annoyance, "but it'll have to wait. If you hadn't noticed, I've got a little bird girl here whose about to lose a few toes to hypothermia." Blood rushed to my cheeks and I swallowed hard. Almost reluctantly, Stephen stepped aside to let us through. In passing, Damon shot him a quick, almost hidden glare before quickly bounding up the stairs.

"He doesn't trust me." I whispered after we were safely in his room. He sat me on the bed and walked to his dresser to retrieve dry clothes. My body instantly curled into a ball in a futile attempt to retain some body heat.

"Yeah, well, you're new. And, generally, in our case at least, new things don't end well. They tend to lead to some devious plot of Catherine's." He explained. "But he's a sucker for the whole 'damsel in distress' thing, so he'll warm up to you pretty quick." He stood up with a few pieces of clothes and kicked the drawer closed. I started to ask about Catherine, but he interrupted me. "Speaking of warming up," he added as he walked back to me. "How's a nice hot bath sound?" I couldn't help but grin at the idea.

"Fantastic." I sighed with a small shudder. He helped me to the bathroom, set the clothes on the counter, and started the water. Just seeing the steam rise out of the tub made me shiver harder.

"Well, these things aren't doing much good anymore." He said, gently taking my hand. Delicately, he removed the bandages. Three angry gashes stretched down the side of my hand. He looked at them a long moment, eyes hard, before swallowing hard and turning away. For just a brief moment, his eyes turned black and I gasped. "Sorry," He released my hand and took a deep breath, forcing the darkness back, before meeting my eyes again. "There, all better." I could hear the hesitation in his voice and guilt clutched my heart. With shaking hands, I held his face.

"Show me." I whispered. He stared at me a moment before starting to object. "Please." I interrupted. I didn't want to be afraid. Not of him. His jaw tightened, but he nodded. And his eyes went black. And his fangs lengthened. Hesitantly, I brushed my fingertips over the darkened skin around the now onyx orbs. It was cold. But it was still Damon. Again I held his face between my hands and kissed the icy skin. When he opened his eyes, they were soft blue again and he smiled.

"Do I scare you?" he asked.

"No." I replied.

"I should." I couldn't help but grin. He laughed and kissed me gently before returning his attention to my hands. Quickly, he unwrapped my other hand and threw the dressings away. "Turn around." He said; pulling a pair of scissors from the drawer. My heart gave a quick flutter as the light shown off the bright metal.

"I heard that." He said with fake annoyance. I bit my lips and turned my back to him. With soft hands, he brushed my hair over my shoulder. Something glinted in his hands. My eyes immediately focused on it and I gasped.

"My knife!" My hands gingerly grabbed the bright silver handle, so carefully carved into a perfect feather.

"You left it in the forest. Totally irresponsible." He mocked. I spun around and threw my arms around him.

"Thank you!" I nearly shouted, and pulled back to let my eyes wander over the elegant hilt again. "My mother gave me this." I explained; unable to rein in my excitement. "It's the only thing I have to remember her."

"What happened to her?" He asked as he guided me back around.

"I don't know." I whispered. He slowly slit open the back of the shirt and started cutting through the bandages wrapped around my torso and shoulder. "About a month ago she just… vanished. She left this beside me in the cave we'd been hiding in."

"Any luck finding her?" he asked. I shook my head.

"I'm not looking." I explained, "She left for a reason. If she thought it best to stay with me, then we'd still be together." He scoffed.

"I thought she was dead." He admitted, arms snaking around me to pull the bandages loose.

"She might be." I said, almost wincing at the thought. "I don't know. But I don't think she is," I added, "It feels like she'd still alive, I guess." And then, with a smile, "She'd better be. And she'd better have some answers for me." He laughed and ruffled my hair before turning off the water.

"Alright," he said loudly, "Time for you to warm up and me to go deal with my annoying little brother." He started out the door. Shyly, I grabbed his sleeve.

"But you're wet too." I said, looking up at him. His jaw tightened, but he forced up a smile.

"I can't get sick. You can. And then who'd have to take care of you?" he asked, pointing a thumb at himself. I tightened my grip, but said nothing. I didn't want to be alone. The thought sent a chill down my spine.

"Stay with me." I whispered, blood rushing to my cheeks. He swallowed hard and squatted before me.

"Thea, I'll be just downstairs. You so much as squeak and I'll hear you and be up here before you can blink." He said haughtily. Still I wouldn't release him. He sighed and his gaze fell. "The truth is Thea I don't have near the trust in myself that you do. I don't trust myself not to take advantage of you, and that's not what you need right now." My cheeks burned scarlet. He kissed my forehead. "And, trust me, I would love to do just that." Still, he stood. "Just a squeak away." He reminded me. And he left, closing the door behind him.

Gingerly, I slipped out of the clothing and lowered myself into the near scalding water. It burned the numerous cuts and gashes that crisscrossed my skin, but it felt so good. I leaned back and carefully scrubbed myself clean with the soap. The water was tinted a light red by the time I reached for the shampoo.

"Think about it, Damon, it could be a"

"A what, a trick?" The shouts echoed quietly into the bathroom. I tried not to listen, to focus on shampooing my hair, but my ears seemed set on eavesdropping. "You saw what kind of shape she was in!" Shampoo, shampoo, shampoo.

"With everything Catherine's done so far, would you really put it past her?" Rinse, rinse, rinse. My heart beat a little faster.

"No, I wouldn't; but she's got nothing to do with Catherine!"

"How do we know that?" Silence. Conditioner. Where's the conditioner? "Just let Bonny see what she can." There it is. I was shaking.

"No! Who knows what that little witch will do!" Scrub, scrub, scrub.

"She won't do anything but give us answers!" A long pause. Adrenaline shot through my heart.

"I'm not going to lie to her." Quiet. Hard to hear. My hands slowed.

"Damon, we need to find out what she's capable of." Absently, I worked the conditioner out of my hair.

"What she's capable of? The only difference between her and other humans are her wings! If there was anything else, she would have used it to escape the coven!" My fingers ghosted to my wings and began preening.

"What about her blood. You said it yourself; it did something to you; made you stronger." Get out all the dirt and soap. "Damon."

"Damn it, Stephen! She's done nothing to deserve us sicking a witch on her!" Pull the plug. Where are the towels? Aw, the cabinet by the sink. With a broken mirror.

"We're not 'sicking a witch on her!' If everything she's said is true, maybe Bonny can give her some answers, too!" Pat everything dry. Carefully over the wounds and dark bruises and wings.

"Then, there's no problem talking to her about it first." Damon was trying to end the argument before he completely lost all shreds of patience. Stephen paused a moment. Clothes. Get dressed.

"Fine. But don't take your eyes off of her for one second." Grab my knife. Better check with Damon before cutting open anymore of his shirts. I quietly slipped out of the bathroom.

"Of course, your majesty, wouldn't want to get any feathers on your precious school clothes." Scratches.

"Damon, wait." Stephen called, almost apologetically. More scratches followed a light tapping. At the window. Probably just a tree.

"What, Stephen?" Wait. There were no trees outside his room.

"You understand why I'm cautious, right?" I looked. And screamed. Black eyes. White skin, almost decaying already. Tapping at the window. And smiling. The alpha.

Almost instantly, the door flew open. For just a second, I looked away, and then he was gone. Arms wrapped around me. The alpha! No! I screamed and struggled to get away, wings trapped uselessly in the shirt.

"Thea! Thea look at me!" Instantly, my gaze shot towards that voice. "What is it? What's wrong?" I pointed to the window.

"He's back!" Mad shouts. "Damon, he's back!" Rage filled those icy eyes as they darkened to black. He darted towards the window.

"Stay with her!" He ordered as he leapt out into the night. I vaguely noticed Stephen standing by the door.

"No!" I shrieked, racing after him. "Damon!" I screamed his name desperately, sobbing. Near hysterical, I turned to Stephen. "Please, don't let him go! They'll kill him!" He tried to reassure me, but his words made no sense. All I knew was that he wasn't moving. He wasn't going to help Damon. I raced back to the window and called for him again; anxiously scanning the darkness.

Something touched my arm. With a shriek, I jumped back. Not Damon. He was gone. Damon was gone. I backed quickly away from the man until I hit the wall. With a sob, I slid to the floor, hiding my head in my arms. No; no! I saved him once, I could do it again! I had to find him! I realized I was mumbling, but it didn't matter. I jumped to my feet and ran to the window, hands quickly cutting into the shirt with my knife.

"No, Thea; he'll be right back." Stephen stepped between me and the window. I maneuvered my wings out of the slits and tried to rush past him, but he easily blocked me.

"No! I can't let them kill him!" I shouted. Why didn't he understand? The Shadow Men would kill him without a second's hesitation. "Get out of my way!" Wet feathers don't fly well. Drenched feathers don't fly at all. It didn't matter.

The front door slammed. Instantly, I darted toward the hall. Out of nowhere, arms wrapped tightly around me. I knew who it was and nearly collapsed with relief.

"Easy, Thea," he whispered, "it's alright, I'm not going to let them hurt you." Suddenly enraged, I pounded his chest with my fists, ignoring the agony that shot from the long gashes.

"Damn it; they could have killed you!" I shrieked, again clinging to him. He scoffed, but tightened his embrace.

"I'm fine Thea." He assured me. "I'm right here." I shook my head, unable to voice the desperate thoughts raging through my mind. "Thea, look at me." He said softly, "look at me." Delicately, he lifted my chin. "I'm fine." He said again with a smile. Shaking violently, I looked at him.

"I'm scared." I finally gasped. His arms tightened around me and he delicately stroked my hair.

"It's alright, I've got you." He whispered. Slowly, his fingers crept between my wings. It didn't take much for my limbs to fail and, in just a few seconds, my body stilled. "Come on," he breathed, lifting me to his chest. My hands just managed to cling to his still damp shirt. The world seemed to grow dark as he carried me back into his room. Halfway to his bed, we stopped. Through nearly closed eyes, I saw Stephen put a hand on Damon's shoulder, nod, and leave. I was asleep before he got to the bed.

* * *

Dun dun DUUUNNNN! But, OMG they kissed!


	7. A Thousand Unknowns

Oh yes. This is it. 'What is it?' you say. 'Could it be...?' you murmur. Oh yes. You are warned.

**A Thousand Unkowns**

The distant, shrill laughter of what seemed a hundred birds danced delicately through my ears. I could almost see them prancing and playing through the branches of the oaks outside. Far away. Because there was no tree at Damon's window. But he was there; watching me!

I shot up and looked at the window. The sky was the soft blue that foretold the coming sun and the green leaves shone like emeralds as they danced with the wind.

"He's not there." I started violently at the voice, but immediately relaxed when Damon's hands gently touched my shoulder. Still, I couldn't tear my gaze from the window. "And I found nothing last night." He added as he sat up and wrapped his arms around me.

"He was there, Damon. I saw him." My words grew quiet.

"It was dark" he started, but I cut him off.

"I saw him Damon!" I nearly shouted. He threw his hands up in submission. "I saw the light from the lamp shine in his eyes. It looked like he was already decaying." I added with a whisper. "And then you came in and he was gone." With a sigh, he embraced me again.

"Well, you're safe now. A – it's daytime, and I don't remember seeing a ring on his fingers, and B – he can't come in here without being invited." His lips ghosted over my neck. Absently, my fingers buried themselves in his silky hair and I sighed. His gentle touch became passionate kisses, chasing away all thoughts of what lay waiting in the darkness; chasing away all thoughts period. My body pressed against his and my head automatically leaned back, giving him more access to the tender, sensitive skin. He gave a tiny nip, and I couldn't help but moan in eager anticipation.

He body tensed suddenly and he quickly pulled back. Disappointment shot through me and I turned back just in time to watch him force the darkness from his eyes. My heart fluttered wildly in my chest; not because of his desire, though; because of mine.

"Sorry," he mumbled, wiping a hand over his lips. "One second." He got to his feet and left. To feed. I listened for the front door to open and close, but only heard his footsteps as he walked through the house. After a few minutes of silence, I quietly got to my feet and went down the stairs after him. He was leaning over a refrigerator, jaw taunt. Three empty blood bags lay at his feet. He glanced over his shoulder at me for just a moment before letting his gaze fall to the drained bags.

"We've got a little problem." He said; vainly attempting to hide his straining with nonchalance. Almost wincing, he turned to face me. "It's not working." He smiled hard and swallowed.

"The… blood?" I asked, trying to understand. He nodded.

"This stuff normally sates the thirst, but," he let the words die and shook his head. With a scoff, "It made it worse."

"Why?" I asked; concern clear in my voice. He bit hard and looked at me.

"Because it's not yours." He admitted. My breathing all but stopped. "Something about your blood… it's different. And," he struggled a moment for the words, "highly addictive!" He tried to hide his frustration with humor, but I heard it.

"I'm sorry." I whispered; guilt tightened around my heart.

"For what?" he asked, "saving my life?" He chuckled, "Yes, damn you, women, for giving me blood and raising me from the dead." He mocked theatrically. "Well, kind of." He added. I couldn't bite back the giggle. I crossed the distance between us and nuzzled his chest, hands lightly grasping his shirt. The muscles of his jaw balled, but his arms looped around me.

"It's okay." I whispered. Unsure, he looked at me. I met his gaze and smile. "If it's you, it's okay." For just a moment, excitement lit in his briefly darkening eyes, but he forced it back.

"Thea," he started, but I cut him off with a kiss before pulling back and exposed my neck. His jaw trembled so slightly, and his eyes went black. He gently tangled one hand in my hair to cradle the back of my head and, with the other, brushed the stray strands from my neck; just letting his fingertips brush against the skin before wrapping his arm around the small of my back and held me tightly against him. He cast one last, unsure glance at me. I smiled and kissed him. His muscles tensed and he kissed me hungrily. I couldn't help but moan into his almost forceful lips. Slowly, his kisses trailed down my jaw. With each gentle touch, my heart beat quicker, and yet I basked in the wondrous anticipation. So gently, he nipped the skin.

And then those icy fangs entered me. I gasped and clung to him as my body was overwhelmed with something I can't name; feelings I can't explain. I could feel his lust and hunger and affection. I felt his near overpowering desire to ravage my body. I felt the amazing ecstasy that filled him as my life flowed over his tongue. And, even before he slowly pulled back, I felt his desire to share it with me.

Crimson shown on his lips. I tenderly licked them clean and he kissed me hard. The taste of my blood coating his mouth was shockingly sweet, and I couldn't help but yearn for more. He pulled back and drew his wrist to his lips. At some point, we'd returned to his bedroom, but I couldn't remember how. He sunk his fangs into the soft flesh before holding it out to me. Something about the blood smeared on those sharp canines lit my body on fire.

Tenderly, I drew my tongue over the wound, lapping the drops of blood that had fallen from the two pinpricks, before latching my lips around his wrist. A deep groan resonated through his chest as he closed his eyes in pleasure. He brought my hand to his lips, covered it generously with kisses and nips before biting into the thin artery. I moaned loudly as the ecstasy bombarded me. I could feel each drop of blood dance across my tongue to fill my body with a near unbearable warmth and pleasure. And I could feel that blood be gently pulled back out of me to give Damon that same pleasure; to satisfy the desperate need driving him. His lips gradually worked up my arm until they found mine. Our blood mingled in each others' mouths with tantalizing sweetness.

At some point, I realized we were losing clothes, and my body reacted almost violently. I threw Damon on the bed, never once breaking our kiss, and straddled him. His hips bucked and I could feel him hard again my burning flesh, drawing a desperate cry from me. With something like a growl, he rolled on top of me and began exploring my body with his lips and hands and teeth, leaving me begging for more.

My skin burned beneath his every touch. Breathless, I screamed for him as my body squirmed beneath his; over his; I couldn't tell anymore. Still, I could feel his own ecstasy as he filled me and gave in to his desperate desires until it seemed we would shatter. Our bodies battled and danced as wave after wave of ecstasy overwhelmed us until, finally, we collapsed, panting and exhausted and lost in the utter bliss of each others' arms.

He gently covered my face in delicate kisses as our bodies trembled with the aftereffects; our minds still swimming in some wondrous abyss. _Sleep, _the words danced around me, just on the verge of understanding, _I've got you. _And, safe in his arms, my eyes slid closed.

* * *

_Beautiful._ Damon's voice whispered, pulling me from the haze of sleep. I grinned and pressed myself against him.

"Thank you." I muttered drowsily. He gently brushed a strand of hair from my face.

"Aw, she's sleeping." I frowned and cracked my eyes open.

"m not." I murmured, looking up at him.

"Hm?" he asked, meeting my eyes with a smirk. God, he was warm. I giggled and snuggled against him. His arms tightened around me with a chuckle.

"Cold?" he asked. With his bare skin pressed against mine, like hot silk burning into the most sensitive parts of my body, cold was a distant thought. "Well that was poetic." His almost skeptical words caught me off guard.

"What?" I asked, suddenly unsure. He smiled and kissed my forehead.

"I asked if you were cold." He repeated, meeting my gaze.

"No, not that." I muttered. What was that thing about poetry?

"Poetry? 'the hell?" His lips didn't move. "What?" They weren't moving. He wasn't speaking. But I could hear him. "What?"

"How?" I muttered. Distrust entered his eyes, and I panicked.

"Can she hear my thoughts?" He frowned and leaned back. His thoughts. Yes I could hear his thoughts. Why? He nearly threw me off of him and jumped to his feet. "I can hear her's." My heart raced, pumping wave after wave of adrenaline surging painfully through me.

"How are you doing that? What did you do?" Angry. I don't know! That look in his eyes. Like the alpha. The vampire still died. My fault. Not my fault. I don't know!

"Alright, alright." Hands. Holding me. Restraining me. No! Angry. They were so angry. But it wasn't my fault. "Shit, she's freaking out." What? "Thea; Thea, look at me." Gentle hands cupped my cheeks. "Look at me, Thea." He said again. "They're gone. They don't have you anymore." They? How did he? "It's alright," My thoughts, "No, no Thea; focus." He could hear my thoughts. "Thea." He could… naked; I felt naked. "Thea!" I couldn't breathe. I couldn't hide. And they were angry. Run; I had to run!

Suddenly, my body fell limp against him. In my panic, I hadn't noticed his fingers drop between my wings and the sudden flood of endorphins overwhelmed me. He carefully held me against him, his mind racing. I could feel the mob of uncertain thoughts, warring emotions storm through him, but I was frozen in the blissful haze of his touch.

"Alright, listen to me, Thea." Damon whispered, he couldn't take the edge out of his voice, making my sedated body flinch. His tongue darted across his lips as he gathered his thoughts. "Talk to me; how did this happen?" My foggy mind struggled to put meaning to his words and fought even harder to find an answer.

"I don't know." I murmured before offering a guess, "might 'ave had som'phing to do 'th the blood."

"But, I drank from you days ago, and nothing happened." He retorted. Again, I had to work through the emptiness the endorphins created.

"But I d'n't drink fr'm you." I mumbled. "M'be needed to compl't th' link."

"Link?" His fingers stopped. "What link?" I blinked hard as the fog cleared. And my heart sped up. "Thea; focus, damn it!" he snapped. I flinched violently, but he's hold allowed me no escape. "What link?" He asked sternly. With wide eyes, I stared at him.

"I don't know! I don't…" The alpha. What did he say? Something about

"Myths and familiars; right. What about them?" He interrupted.

"I don't…" My mind raced; panicked. "Familiars." The knife dug into my throat. "A link; they link to something and…" Ice. The blade was like ice.

"And what?" He nearly shouted. I trembled violently as frantic gasps tore through me. The Shadow Men. Everywhere. Fangs and fists. My hand was wrenched from the restraints and my wrist torn open.

"Power. Power; immortality." Something clicked and I froze. "A familiar." I whispered; horrified.

"What?" Damon asked impatiently just before understanding crashed on him as well.

"That's what he wanted." I barely managed to say. "He wanted to link with me." Those empty, greedy eyes. Quick, shallow gasps left the room spinning. "I'm… I'm," I couldn't see. I couldn't breathe. Suffocating. I was suffocating. "What am I?" I sobbed. Don't say it. Don't voice what I already know. I can't hear it. Not yet.

"Thea." My trembling knees collapsed, but Damon already held me against him. Guilt. I felt guilt. Not mine. "Thea." Doesn't trust me. He doesn't trust me. Like Stephen. But it's not my fault. "I never said that." I'm sorry; I'm sorry. The heart wrenching guilt grew until it was almost overpowering.

A gentle caress and my body collapsed. Still, my lips formed a thousand apologies. Strong arms held protectively around me.

"Alright, Thea, listen to me." He whispered urgently. A familiar; what does that mean? "No; Thea; look at me." He leaned back and lifted my face to his. "We'll figure this out; alright?" Weakly, I shook my head. I was tired. And scared. And alone. "No!" He said sternly. "You're not alone, Thea." My body seemed to deflate. "Listen to me, Thea; you're not alone." Falling; I was falling.

Determination, anger, uncertainty. I felt them. Just as strongly as I felt my own exhaustion, I felt them. Damon. Weakly, I sought those light blue eyes. Damon. My Damon. It was okay as long as it was him. Shock. Yes; Damon; I trust you. And, in utter exhaustion, my eyes closed.


	8. A Witch's Sight

Time for a guest appearance from Bonnie! But the real excitement lies in the next chapter, which will have a few answers and even more questions!

**A Witch's Sight**

My eyes flew open. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. Something was coming. Blood. Everywhere blood. And someone laughing.

_Thea, are you alright?_ My body flinched violently. I was alone in Damon's room, but it was his voice. Memories. Yes; I remembered last night. Our thoughts rang clear in each other's minds. I scanned the empty room. The high sun lit the forest outside his window with lies of warmth regardless the icy winter breeze. Still, there was no reason for the panic that woke me.

_I'm fine; just a dream._ I assured him, unaware myself if it was a lie. It must have been a dream. There was nothing to fear in the middle of the day. Not with Damon just downstairs. Damon. He was angry. _What's going on?_ I asked nervously.

_Damn it, Damon! I get that you've got a thing for her, but this dangerous!_ Stephen. I could hear him through Damon. I heard him because Damon heard him. _What's next? What's the final straw? I'm not going to wait until it's too late before I get some answers! _

_You will not touch her._ Damon. He spoke the words quietly, but with such lethal force, a chill went down my spine and set my body aflame. And, silently to me, _it's alright. He talks a big game, but he's harmless._ There was a short pause.

_Damon, I already talked to Bonnie. She's heading here now._ Rage. Complete and absolute. I could feel how close he was to attacking his brother. Bonnie. The witch. A thousand thoughts flew through his head. Memories. Of broken trust and betrayal that had almost lethal consequences. But she saved him in the end. Not for him. For Elena. Hate. She hated him with every fiber of her being, and he knew it. And she could hurt him. She did hurt him. Suddenly, I hated her for that, but she had her reasons, even Damon couldn't argue with that. She blamed him for her grandmother's death. For Katherin. It was for Katherin. A tomb. A long time ago. Love, betrayal, pain, unimaginable pain.

Too much. Too many images. Too many memories. My head was spinning. How he hated her because he couldn't stop loving her. False love, fake love. _I'm sorry, don't listen._ I can't. It's all screaming in my mind. Ashamed. He was so ashamed of how he loved her. I could feel it. But I could feel more than he realized. He clung to past feelings not because they were still true, not anymore; but because he didn't know who he was without them. Without her. He continued to cling to his love for that woman that had cause him such great pain because he was afraid of losing her and finding himself alone.

I felt him stagger and his mind went blank. _I'm sorry. It wasn't my place to say that._ Part of me waited for an angry rebuke while guilt gnawed at my heart. I had no right to pry into his mind and steal his thoughts, but I could control it no better than he could control hearing my thoughts.

_Damon? What is it?_ Stephen. Somehow, I knew he was ready to blame me for any harm that may have been done to his brother. Damon shook his head, trying to collect his thoughts. To focus. The witch. The witch was coming and he didn't trust her.

_It's alright._ I assured him. _I have nothing to hide. If it will put him at ease, it's okay._

_I know you have nothing to hide._ He wanted to fight it, to find some reason besides his anger at submitting to his brother's 'unfair' investigations. Finally, I felt him pout, and I smiled, regardless how my heart raced. I couldn't fight the sense of foreboding from when I first woke.

_Will you stay with me?_ I almost pleaded, blood rushing to my cheeks. I could feel his eyes soften and his lips smirk.

_Of course._ Reassured, I got out of bed and retrieved the clothes I'd worn a few days prior. My body instantly burned at the thought of that night. And yearned for it again. Immediately, I felt the lust tear through Damon as well and he chuckled silently as he agreed to his brother's demand in the most insulting way.

Once dressed, I opened the door and headed down the stairs. Damon met me in the living room with an evil smirk. Suddenly, I could all but feel his hands and mouth attacking my body and desire shot through me. I bit my lips and averted my gaze in an attempt to control myself, but his thoughts only got hotter. With something like a frustrated grunt, I slapped his chest and glared at him. His face lit up and rich laughter filled the room.

Stephen cleared his throat loudly. I met his gaze with a silent apology. The guilty determination in his eyes again reminded me of a beaten puppy. Damon instantly doubled over, howling with laughter. Again I glared at him, but it was futile. I gave Stephen an apologetic look. He bit his lips with mild frustration, but let it go.

"I assume Damon's already filled you in?" he asked shortly.

"You could say that." I replied with a nod. He jaw muscles tightened. Did he really have so much distrust for me that merely thinking of my link with Damon made him so uneasy.

_Just ignore him; puppies are harmless._ Damon couldn't help but think with another chuckle. Stephen glared at him before returning his attention to me.

"Bonnie should be getting here any minute." He explained. "She's a friend of ours and will hopefully help us get some answers. She's not going to hurt you." _Unless she needs to or finds some reason to believe I'm dangerous,_ I couldn't help but think.

_I won't let her._ Damon replied, subtly pressing his shoulder against mine. I leaned gratefully into his touch. _She's here. _He warned. Vaguely, I realized I could hear her car roll up the driveway through his ears. Still, when the loud knock sounded from the front door, I couldn't help but flinch. Damon wrapped a protective arm around my waist as Stephen went to let her in. I thought I would suffocate from how thick the air suddenly felt.

Her heart shaped face was beautiful. But her eyes. Truly there was something menacing about them. No; she was not a malicious person; far from it, but there was no love, no affection; not even a sliver of contempt in her eyes now. She hated what Damon and Stephen were. She hated what their presence had caused. She hated that, try as she might, he couldn't escape them. She could say no; demand to be left alone; even reinforce that demand with excruciating clarity; but she couldn't live with herself if her selfishness resulted in the death of an innocent. An innocent. That rang clear through my head, as though she had projected it into my mind. It wasn't just her loved ones she worried about. If even a total stranger was hurt because of the men standing before her, she would forever blame herself.

Vaguely, I realized she hadn't meant to project her thoughts as she was; she was repeating them. Over and over in her head. Reminding herself why she had to be here; why she couldn't leave. This woman was good. In her very core, she was good. But she was also strong. She would do whatever necessary to help and protect those she cared for. And that made her all the more dangerous because, at that exact moment, I was filed as a threat.

I swallowed hard and tightened my wings against my back. I couldn't trust her. As long as she saw me as a threat, I knew she had no reservations in hurting me. But I posed no threat to her. I had nothing to hide; nothing that would cause her to judge me cruelly, so I took a small step to make her as she entered the room.

"Hi." I greeted; far too meekly than I'd hoped. "I'm Athena; Thea for short. You must be Bonnie." My heart was beating at a lethal pace and my body was filled with adrenaline. She nodded and gave a glance to Stephen, who nodded silently. Bonnie swallowed hard and returned my gaze.

"I trust Damon's already told you about me." She said, almost reluctantly. I nodded. "Then you understand what I'm going to do?" she asked; voice sharp, but almost guiltily so. Again I nodded. "Well at least that makes one of us." She joked nervously. I chuckled more from nerves than anything. "Stephen told me that you… well that you have…" She let the words die, but looked at me expectantly.

"Wings." I finished. Another surge of adrenaline flared through my chest, but I slowly unfurled my russet and blue-grey wings. She gasped quietly and her eyes lit up for just a second, like an awe-struck child. Tentatively, she started to reach out a hand, but paused.

"May I?" she asked. I bit my lips and reached them towards her. Hesitantly, she brushed the tips of her fingers over my feathers. The contact sent a chill down my spine, but I didn't withdraw. Still, I was filled with the same foreboding of that morning. A silent reassurance radiated from Damon. Bonnie chuckled nervously and let her hand fall.

"They're beautiful." She complemented apologetically. I thanked her and pulled my wings tightly against my back. With a quick exhale, Bonnie was suddenly serious.

"Alright, give me your hands. I'm just going to try to get a feel for you; see if my powers lock onto anything that might help." She explained, reaching for me. I hesitated and my body began to tremble slightly, but held my hands out to her. The instant her light cinnamon skin touched mine my body was almost overcome by a foreign presence; worming and crawling across my skin, through my mind; intruding my very soul. Wrong; it was wrong.

_It's alright, Thea._ Damon. No; no, Damon; this isn't right. Every fiber of my being was screaming; shrieking; demanding I flee. Vaguely I realized I was hyperventilating; good; I would need to extra oxygen to power my wings. Just a few hard flaps. Windows everywhere. A sudden forceful probe nearly sent me to my knees. Damon automatically put a supportive hand on the small of my back. The instant I felt his touch, everything changed.

Something was flooding through us. Screaming. Shrieking. Burning. I was burning. From a distance, I heard a symphony of shouts as the three of us were violently connected. Bonnie's hands were clasped so tightly around mine, I feared the bones would break, but I didn't retreat; I couldn't. My body refused to move.

Bonnie's eyes rolled up into her skull and her lips moved frantically. A violent wind tore through the manor, ripping paintings from the wall, smashing glasses to the ground, tearing books from the shelves. Words. She was murmuring something. Sobbing it, almost. I ground my teeth together and tried to contact her, but another surge of agony overwhelmed me. I managed to just crack open my eyes.

The beautiful witch seemed to age before my eyes, but her lips never ceased their desperate whispers as her body began to rock. Her left hand released mine, but her right still held my hands prisoner. She pointed her palm to the wood floors. A tear slid down her cheek. The connection suddenly intensified tenfold. With a scream, I fell to my knees. In seconds, Damon followed, a deep groan rumbling from his chest.

Smoke. I smelled smoke. The wood floors were burning. Tiny wisps of flame etching letters into the ancient oak. I could feel the fire. Scolding me. My vision blurred. Still, I tried to focus. It was important. The message that was being burned into the floor; I know it was important. But I couldn't. It was too far away. Even the pain felt distant. My head fell back and my wings sagged. The fire died. And we fell.


	9. Trial by Fire

Omg is it really; yes it is! The plot! Thanks for reading! Now things get interesting. Ahead lies fear, uncertainty, mistrust, betrayal, and all kinds of confusion. Again, I'm grateful for any and all comments, and thanks so much to those that have shown interest in my writing! So, without further adieu... oh, and the poem thing isn't mine, it's snippets from the Ripley Scroll, which is absolutely fascinating and well worth the read!

**Trial by Fire**

_Words. A constant barrage of twisted messages and warnings and prophesies. Inescapable. My body tried to run, to fly, but the letters lashed out and captured me. Burning into my skin. Terrible tales of monsters. And fire. Fire. Burning. Everywhere! No!_

My eyes flew open and I shot up, panting hard. Sunlight flooded in through the window. Birds chirped in the distant trees. I knew this room. Safe. It was safe. I was in Damon's room. And beside me, Damon. He wasn't moving. My heart stuttered for a painful moment. I tried to call his name, but terror muted me. How could he be so still? He wasn't breathing. But he was a vampire. He didn't need to breathe… right? If he were… if he were actually dead, then his skin would turn black with decay… wouldn't he?

With my heart racing wildly in my chest, I reached a trembling hand toward him, silently begging whoever was listening that he would respond. My hand touched his shoulder. Cold. He was cold. Panic.

"Damon?" I breathed. He didn't move. I fought to breathe through the tight ball of tears choking me. "Damon." I called louder, shaking him. Please; I'm scared. Don't make me go down there alone. Where I had to face the consequences of last night. The words burnt into the floor. Don't make me read them alone. "Damon!" I sobbed.

He suddenly shot up, drawing a violent breath into his lungs; eyes black; fangs bared. For a second he merely stared at me, confused, but recognition dawned on him and his arms locked around my shaking body. After a few deep gasps, he leaned back, eyes again that marvelous icy blue.

"What the hell happened?" he breathed, but I had no answers. "Are you alright?" he asked after a second's silence.

"Yeah," I nodded. "What about you? Why are you so cold?" I asked. He started to dismiss it, but I could feel the sudden, overpowering thirst raging within him. A thirst only I could sate. Now reassured that he was safe, I wanted to get downstairs to learn what had happened, but with each passing second his thirst grew. I swallowed hard, but offered him my wrist. He scoffed, hesitating. Finally, he wet his lips and met my gaze.

"You sure?" he asked. I nodded, knowing that, whatever awaited us, he would need be strong. He looked almost troubled for a moment, but then his eyes went black and his fangs lengthened. He kissed the sensitive skin tenderly before piercing the flesh with a quick, icy bite. My heart thundered in my chest as I felt the overwhelming pleasure of feeding fill him. My hand seemed to tighten on its own to send a surge of blood spilling from the cut artery. A quiet growl ripped from his chest as the sweet fluid washed over his tongue. Too soon, he pulled back with a final lick over the small pinpricks.

Without a word, he brought his wrist to his lips and dug his fangs through the pale skin and offered it to me. At first, part of me started to decline, but I couldn't tear my eyes from the sweet crimson dripping from the wounds. My hands gently held his arm and I locked my lips around his wrist. He moaned deeply as I pulled the blood into my mouth, savoring how it coated my tongue like hot caramel. Just a few, tantalizing gulps, and I pulled back. My entire body seemed to tingle as his blood flowed through me, but I forced myself under control.

"We can't keep doing this." Damon scoffed as the black faded from his eyes. I could feel his desire to attack me; to take everything, my body, my blood; and how I wanted to give it to him. But not yet. This was just a feeding. Something frightening awaited us downstairs, and it was time to go and meet it. We would deal think more on his addiction to my blood later. He sighed, but nodded and got to his feet; carefully pulling me with him. The room seemed to spin and dip violently around me for a few hazardous seconds before stilling. Damon said nothing as he held me steady until the vertigo passed.

"You ready?" he asked once my mind cleared. With a weak smile, I nodded, pulling my wings firmly against me. With Damon's hand resting on the small of my back, we left his room and headed for the main entrance.

"Stephen and Bonnie are gone." Damon informed me. Again, I distantly felt his senses; heard the numerous minute life forms about the house and forest, but nothing big enough to warrant concern. _What are the limits to this?_ He wondered curiously upon realizing my ability to feel and hear things through him. I had no idea.

"We should test it when things quiet down." He said aloud. I looked up at him, hesitant at first, but nodded. Frightening as it was, this telepathy could come in handy.

The thoughts and theories of our link immediately vanished as my eyes fell on the scarred wood. I remembered how my body burned when the letters were made. And Bonnie. Where was she? Was she okay?

"Stephen must have taken her back home after we passed out." Damon guessed, watching the marred floor suspiciously. "I'm sure he'll be back to bother us some more in a few minutes." I chuckled at his desire to leave before then.

"Then let's just read it and get out of here." I almost whispered, "I'd like to stretch my wings a bit." He nodded. Still, neither of us moved for a while; we just stared at the floor, as though half expecting it to rear some ugly head and attack us. With a hard swallow, I forced my legs to work and we crossed the room to see the blackened words.

_On the ground there is a hill  
Also a serpent within a well  
Repair the well fast about  
That thy serpent pass not out  
For if that he be there a gone  
Thou lose the virtue of the stone  
And water with fire washed shall be  
The earth on fire shall be put  
And water with air shall be knit  
Thus ye shall go to purification  
And bring the serpent to redemption  
First he shall be black as a crow  
And down in his den shall lie low  
And let him drink a little and a light  
And that shall make him fair and white  
The which whiteness be abiding  
Of the white stone and the red_

_Take the father that Phoebus so high  
With his beams that shine so bright  
For he is salve to every sore  
Take good head what I do say  
Divide thou Phoebus in many part  
With his beams that be so bright  
And this with nature him convert  
To which is mirror of all light_

_In the sea without lees  
Standeth the bird of Hermes  
Eating his wings variable  
And maketh himself yet full stable  
When all his feathers be from him gone  
He standeth still here as a stone  
And all so the stone to quicken the dead  
That sometime was both wood and wild  
And now I am both meek and mild  
The Sun and the Moon with their might  
Have chastised me that was so light  
My wings that me brought  
Hither and thither where I thought  
Now with their might they down me pull  
And bring me where they will  
The Blood of mine heart I wish  
Now causeth both joy and bliss  
And dissolveth the very Stone  
And causeth him to be fix  
Of my blood and water I wish  
Therefore know ere thou begin  
What he is and all his kin_

"What the hell does that mean?" Damon scoffed. Goose-flesh rose on my arms and legs, and my heart pounded within my ribs.

"I don't know." I whispered. He was silent a while, his mind racing with theories, born and murdered before I had the chance to comprehend them. Finally, he scribbled the words on a piece of paper and shoved in it his pocket.

"Come on; we'll figure it out later." He said, heading toward the front door. Somehow, he knew Stephen was coming. He smiled and nodded. "Besides, you need to eat; you're getting too skinny." He insulted. I pouted and glared. _What are you going to do about it?_ I couldn't help but balk at the blatant challenge before charging after him. He laughed as he ran out of the house. By the time I reached the front door, the giant raven was soaring high above me.

With a laugh, I leapt into the sky; grateful for his nonchalance that could so quickly ease my worry; grateful that I could fly freely with another; grateful that, if only for a few minutes, I could lose myself in the wind's loving embrace.


	10. Floating on the Calm Before the Storm

This one was kind of hard to write, but it'll be important later. A few character introductions, some more hints at the plot, a bit of fluff. Not too happy with it though. I'm publishing it merely because it'll all be important later, but I'm fed up with trying to make everything better and just want to get on with the story; I don't like non-action scenes... which means, yep, excitement is coming. Also, it was brought to my attention how OOC Stephen is and I wanted to explain that really quick. I wanted there to be a lot of friction and distrust between Stephen and Thea to give her more in common with Damon. His semi-malevolent actions toward Thea aren't really that OOC, though. When it comes to keeping Elena safe, he can be very violent (remember how he ran Johnathon out of town). Also, I'm going back and fixing a few things in previous chapters. Mainly just grammatical things unimportant to the story, but you may want to reference Bonnie's message a few times. When I downloaded it, I assumed the spacing would carry over. It didn't. So that has been corrected and is a tad important to the second half of this chapter. Anyways, that's all; thanks for the support!

**Floating on the Calm Before the Storm**

With a blissfully empty mind, I soared behind Damon; relishing in the wind caressing my wings. I refused to think. Just for a little while, I forgot about the Shadow Men and my missing mother and the words burnt in the floor. It was just Damon and I once more, dancing hundreds of feet above the earth.

_I want to try something._ Damon told me, already beginning his descent. I followed after him, filled with his idea, yet unable to put it to words. By the time I landed, he was pulling his black shirt over his head. I started to question him, but my mind went blank as my eyes slid down his solid body. I felt that cocky grin toy with his lips before managing to raise my gaze; cheeks scarlet.

"Come here." His voice was much more alluring than it had to be, when I knew he wasn't planning on attacking me. Then it clicked. He wanted to try to change; to perform a successful half-morph capable of flight.

"Damon, it's a lot more complicated than just have wings." I told him. My mother had taught me so much about our anatomy; how our bones are hollow; the specialized oblique and pectoral muscles; our advanced metabolism; just to name a few.

"I know," he answered, mind racing, "I'm going to try to use our link to connect to your body. If I can mold my body like yours, then it just might work." Still I hesitated.

"This could be dangerous, Damon. If something goes wrong… what if you can't change back? You can already fly; why push it?" He shrugged.

"Yeah, I can fly; but it's different than how you fly. I can't feel the wind on my face like you can. The raven may be a part of me, but it's different." _It's like sex with a condom._ He added silently, making me chuckle. "Don't forget that the link goes both ways. I can feel how you feel when you fly, and I want that." He purposely thought about how he felt when he flew. And he was right. It wasn't the same; like he was able to look through the raven's eyes and control its movements, but that was it. I couldn't say no; couldn't deny him the true ecstasy that I relished.

Swallowing hard, I walked to him. His eyes lit up; like a child on Christmas morning; and he cupped my face in his warm hands. Focus. The forest around us was forgotten. Our senses muted. His mind touched mine and spread through my body like wildfire. My hands locked over his and I bit back the revolt flaring through my mind, forcing myself to remain open to him, regardless the panic threatening to swarm through me. It was Damon. I reminded myself over and over. It was Damon. It was okay, as long as it was him. He could see inside me; everything; I felt naked and defenseless. Vulnerable. _Never leave yourself open, because, if you do…_ Mother left the consequences unspoken, but I knew. But it was Damon, and I trusted him.

His lips suddenly crashed against mine. _Don't deserve it._ Why did he feel like he was lying to me? _The things I've done… Don't deserve it._ It wasn't regret that was radiating from him. No, he didn't regret what he had done, and that's why he was ashamed. And I saw them. A thousand faces. Heard a thousand screams. Yes, he had done horrors; was truly a monster. _Monster._ The word echoed in his mind. My hands tightened around his and I kissed him hard.

_Yes, you were a monster. _I told him. _But what about now?_ He thought a moment.

_That's still me._ He admitted. _A part of me. _He loved what he was. The power it gave him. The ecstasy of taking the life fluid of another. The immortality. It used to thrill him to know end. But was that really still the case. Did he really still live to kill? Silence. _No._ I smiled against his lips. I didn't want him to repent. I didn't want him to hate what he was. That was a part of him, yes, but I didn't want him to change. This man before me, I felt safe with him. He knew what it was to lose, to be forced to do terrible things. And, in the beginning, it was terrible. He'd begun by hating it, and grew to love it. And what choice did he have? Either adapt or hate himself. No, I didn't hold his past against him. He chuckled and pulled back.

"You are a strange one." He murmured.

"Are you complaining?" I asked, feigning insult. He kissed me and smiled.

"Not at all." For a while, I merely let myself bask in the warmth of his lips. But the wind stirred and the same thought flew between us. Again his eyes lit with excitement.

"Ready?" he asked, pulling back a few inches. I nodded and, a second later, felt his mind fill me. It was different than before; almost tender as it roamed my body, noting the differences and learning how it worked. I don't know how long he studied me, but, eventually, I felt his thoughts turn to his own body. I focused on what specialized my body for flight, and tried to help him understand what he needed to change.

Slowly, at first, he morphed certain aspects; changed muscles, enhanced organs; but then he focused on the wings. He would need at least an eighteen foot wingspan. He concentrated hard for several minutes, but nothing happened. Something wasn't right. It wasn't working. I felt how hard he was straining, but it wasn't enough.

_Take my blood._ I urged, exposing my neck. Hesitation, but then his fangs entered me. My body trembled at the painful ecstasy and I had to fight to regain control of my mind. Wings; how mine move; how they feel; how they should feel on you. I spread my wings to their full length. _Fly with me._ And great wings shot from his back; black as the darkest night. Panting, his lips left my neck and he delicately traced the wounds with his tongue before stepping back to examine the new appendages.

A victorious smile lit his face as he moved them experimentally. It worked. It really worked. Giant ebony wings; hollow bones; enhanced muscular structure. His body was capable of flight, but he would need to relearn how to fly. _Listen to my body, feel my movements._

With a few hard flaps, I was airborne. I focused on how my wings curved to shape and catch the air; how I felt the minute changes that alerted me to current fluctuations. After just a few, impatient seconds, he shot after me; clumsily trying to master the foreign things. He lifted maybe ten feet from the earth, but, on the next down stroke, pulled a wing the wrong way and threw himself off balance, sending him crashing to the ground. With a giggle, I landed quietly beside him as he rolled to his feet.

"Not as easy as it looks, is it?" I mocked playfully. Fire lit in his eyes and he leapt into the air, catching the slight breeze in the concave underside of his massive wings. With a triumphant laugh, he spread his wings and glided. He was so focused on holding the air correctly, that he wasn't paying attention to where he was going.

"Damon! The tree!" I shouted, but the tip of his wing slammed into a tree and crumbled. I raced over to find him laughing hardily, a mass of tangled limbs, and couldn't help but laugh with him. "Maybe we should find a meadow." I offered as he straightened himself out and got to his feet. The smile never faded from his lips as he grabbed his cloths and we started through the woods. In silence, I showed him how the slightest movements can dramatically change your flight path; how to hold your wings close to your body during heavy winds; how to turn and coast and glide. I told him many things as he toyed and flapped and stretched, but there was so much more that I couldn't tell him; that he would have to learn through experience.

In his excitement, he struggled to listen, itching to get airborne, but managed to absorb most of what I thought so that, by the time we found a clearing, he was ready to try again. A steady breeze rolled down from the mountains. Another storm was coming, but the bit of wind would help Damon get use to gliding.

Without a word, I ran ahead of him, jumped up, and, with several hard flaps, climbed high above the earth. Damon held his wings high in anticipation as he followed me. Determination screaming from him, he threw himself into the air, wings moving madly around him, forcing the air into submission. And he climbed. High above the earth, until we were dancing on the treetops.

I curled one wing against me and flapped with the other to roll in the air and look back at him. My gaze returned to the horizon and I started to correct myself before I lost too much altitude, but arms locked around me. My body automatically started to panic, but devious ice blue eyes met mine, instantly calming my body. My hands wrapped around his bare shoulders and my wings tucked against my body, angled just enough to guide the wind around me. He flapped hard to support the extra weight. Still, nothing but exuberance screamed from him.

And he kissed me. With neither lust nor passion, but with such emotion it left me dizzy. He was happy. He kissed me out of pure joy. A joy than only those that have flown with their own wings can know. With a howl of delight, he tucked in a wing and sent us spinning for just a second, before pulling me with him in a dive. As the wind buffeted us angrily and the earth came at us at an alarming rate, I couldn't help but join his roar of exhilaration.

Fifty feet from the ground, I slowly began to spread my wings to level out. Almost reluctantly, Damon released me and followed suit. Once leveled, I turned back towards him and, with a few hard flaps, touched down. He hit the ground running and practically tackled me into an embrace.

"That was," he whispered between kisses, "amazing." And almost silently, "thank you." Laughing, I struggled to escape him, but his arms trapped me against his hard body and refused to release me.

"I need air!" I finally managed. Chuckling, he let me go. I grinned stupidly at him, panting hard, before adding, "you're welcome." He laughed and stretched his wings.

"Come on," he said, tucking them against his back, "Town's about a mile away." After gathering his shirt and jacket, we started through the forest.

With his wings safely concealed beneath his shirt and mine hidden beneath his leather jacket that I was borrowing, we stepped out of the forest. There were few people on the streets, but they made me uncomfortable none-the-less and I subconsciously tensed, locking my wings flush against my back. Passing glances. Hidden whispers. I suddenly had an overpowering urge to race back to the forest, but an arm wrapped around my shoulders. And the whispers intensified.

_It's a small town. They're just curious._ Damon reassured me. Curiosity never ended well with me. If they found out, _how are they going to find out? You just keep my jacket on, and I'll keep my shirt on._ I gave a small pout at that, and he laughed happily; a few… interesting images flashing through his mind. It would have been safer if he had simply morphed back, but he wanted to wait a while; let his body and mind memorize the feel of the wings so he could morph on his own next time. Of course, in order for someone to notice, they'd need to touch our back or look really closely at Damon. His jacket covered my wings entirely, and he had successfully dished his back slightly so his wings laid almost flush; though, if his shirt were any shorter, the tips of his feathers would stick out.

"Here we are." He said, leading me to a building and opening to door for me. Instantly, the scent of alcohol and the ruckus calls of a celebration buffeted my senses. For as loud as it was, there were surprisingly few people scattered about; a group of guys playing pool, a few families eating, some older guys at the bar; and they all turned to look at us. At me. The new thing. Again, Damon drooped an arm around my shoulders to prevent a mad dash for the door and led me to an empty booth somewhat away from the others.

"You'll call more attention to yourself by running. Relax. Eat. And breathing tends to be important." He reminded me. I forced myself to exhale slowly. I didn't need to use Damon's vampire ears to hear the whispers. Already, a storm of rumors had begun. Apparently, I was a new girl from some remote island farm and had run away from abusive parents. Damon found me while hitchhiking, gave me a ride, and seduced me, so I was staying at the manor for a while. Some of the men offered a few scenarios they'd like to play out, and I couldn't help but blush.

"Hey Matt." Damon drawled with his characteristic sarcasm as a young man with short, blond hair approached us.

"Damon," he greeted with obviously hidden sarcasm. "Elena's been looking for you." He said shortly.

"Has she, now?" he asked, pretending to be almost interested, but I could feel his mind begin to work. What did she want? Had Bonnie said anything to her about last night? But, he hid these thoughts as he met Matt's offensive manor. "Well, I'll be sure to give her a call later. In the meantime, I think you're being a bit rude." He retorted, motioning to me. With a final glare, Matt turned his attention to me.

"Sorry; here's a menu; the specials are on the board. Anything to drink?" He asked. Why did he dislike Damon so strongly? What had he done to him?

"Um… just water, please." I said softly, taking the menu from him. Without a second glance, he left.

"He and Elena use to be a thing," Damon explained. "Then Stephen came along. A little later, I showed up. Elena didn't like to too much at first, so Matt's never been a huge fan either.

"On to more important things." He quickly changed the subject and leaned back, "what are you getting?" I glanced briefly through the menu. Prices. Money. I had no money. "Really?" he almost laughed. "I'm a 170 year old vampire. I can afford to take a girl out to eat." I bit my lips and nodded with an embarrassed thanks. _Besides, with all the medical equipment I've gotten for you, this is nothing._ He mocked silently for no reason other than to see me blush. He chuckled, and I shot him a pouting glare. I quickly settled on a quesadilla before returning my attention to Damon. He reached into his pocket and my heart stuttered.

"So, let's take another look at this thing." He said, unfolding the paper. Before he started to read, he met my wide eyes. "Relax, it's not like saying it aloud is going to make us burst into flames." He mocked. My jaw tightened, but I nodded. He read the words silently, so only I could hear him.

"Well, the first part's mostly about some serpent; how evil he is; and how to 'cleanse him.' Sounds like some old school religious crap." He disregarded. I thought hard on them, saying it over and over in my mind.

"Vampires." I finally whispered, instantly catching his attention. "The serpent's a vampire. Or means vampires in general, maybe." He looked over the words again, connecting my theories. The well on the hill must refer to a grave. Maybe it was hoped that by building a strong coffin, it would keep the dead from rising. The bit about the elements seemed to describe killing a vampire. Killing it with fire. _Strong vampires can control the weather. 'Water with air shall be knit'… maybe the vampire created a storm to put out the fire._ But the vampire still died; brought to 'redemption.'

_The next couple verses must refer to a new vampire drinking blood. They would have to stay out of the sun, so they'd get pale. _What about the white stone? What's that? He thought a moment before realizing with a pang of fear, _it has to be the moonstone. 'The which whiteness be abiding/To the white stone and the red.' The moonstone created the curse that keeps vampires from going into the sun. 'The red' must mean blood. But the rest-_

"Damon!" I started slightly at the suddenly angry voice. Elena stormed up to the booth, rage sending my hair on end. Damon stealthily slipped the paper under the table as he acknowledged her.

"Elena!" he replied, mocking her tone. "Would you like to join us?" Her aggravation flourished.

"No, I don't want to join you! I want to know what the hell happened last night!" she almost shouted, bit managed to forced herself into an outraged whisper.

"Actually, I was kind of hoping you could tell us." He evaded.

"What the hell are you talking about? Stephen calls telling me that Bonnie's in the hospital and that I should stay with her until she wakes up, and then nothing. I couldn't get a hold of you or Stephen, and Bonnie still hasn't woken up!" The nonchalance had long faded from Damon's eyes. "Damon, please! Tell me what's going on." She begged. Damon's jaw clenched and he swallowed hard.

"I don't know." He admitted. Elena seemed livid with confusion and frustration, but, with a single, hostile glance, I knew she wouldn't talk freely with me around.

_Go with her, Damon._ I told him. _I'll be fine._

_You sure? _He asked, meeting my gaze. I nodded slightly and he got to his feet. _Alright, I'll be just outside._

No sooner had he left, then Matt returned with my water and took my order.

"Sorry about earlier; Damon and I don't really see eye to eye." He explained. I nodded and sipped my water, trying to hide my obvious discomfort. "We weren't really introduced, I'm Matt." he told me, holding out his hand. My heart raced, but I shook it and told him my name. "So, Thea, where you from?" he asked.

"I travel a lot." I said vaguely; praying he would leave.

"Really? Well what brings you to Mystic Falls?" He seemed friendly enough now that Damon was gone, but being trapped in a building with a lot of strange people after being captured by a gang of vampire to be used as a blood tank and sex toy tended to leave one a little untrusting.

"Just… ended up here." Again, I danced around his question with answers that, while true, didn't really tell him anything. Finally accepting my reluctance to talk, he welcomed me, told that the food would just take a minute, and to give a shout if I needed anything.

Maybe thirty seconds later, another man approached me. His short hair was black, and his haunted eyes were dark brown. He had seen horrors, surely, and seemed to be reliving them every second of his life. I got the feeling that he had approached me simply to show off to the group of men watching us from the pool tables.

"Thea, right?" he started. I nodded, forcing myself to ignore his blatant eavesdropping. "I'm Tyler Lockwood." False pride coated his words as he offered me his hand.

"Sorry about that." Damon suddenly slipped back into the seat across from me, emanating territorial dominance. Tyler's face fell, but he pulled his hand back and left with a quick, 'later.' "I swear, I leave for two minutes, and the guys attack." He joked. "Careful, they can smell fear." He added when my gaze flicked back to Tyler. I shot him a dirty look, but he only laughed.

"What did Elena tell you?" I asked, changing the subject. His face instantly hardened and my heartbeat quickened.

"Bonnie's in a comma." He explained, averting his eyes. Guilt. Like barbed wire around my heart. I couldn't tell who it came from.

"Is she stable?" I whispered. He nodded.

"Elena's going back to the hospital to be with her." Silence. This was my fault. _No it isn't._ He said in his nonchalant, almost mocking way.

_And just how is it not my fault? She's in the hospital because of what I am._ What I am. What the hell am I?

_Beautiful._ My cheeks burned scarlet. _Unique. Funny_. He brought to mind the first time he touched the spot between my wings. I glared at him.

"You know, my life was pretty simple before I met you. I just went from place to place, seeing the world, and keeping away from the Shadow Men." I said accusingly.

"Yeah, well; vampires tend to make life a tad more complicated." He said, smirking deviously. "At least it's not boring." No, it certainly wasn't boring. I couldn't help but smile. Matt brought my plate of food and refilled my water, trying his best to completely ignore Damon.

"Now, back to this" he started to pull the paper back out of his pocket. "So the first bit gives a quick review about vampires. This next bit… Well, Phoebus another name for Apollo and Helios, so that's obviously a reference to the sun." He read the words over again.

"I think the first three lines are just saying that vampires are killed in sunlight." Damon nodded absently. "But the rest sounds like some ritual. How could you divide the sun into many parts?"

"Maybe one of those crystals that turns white light into a rainbow." He'd already shot the idea down before it had fully formed in his mind.

"Maybe we're being too literal." I said. "What if it means an eclipse?" He turned the thought over in his mind before giving a 'possibly' shrug.

"Or, maybe it just means a full moon. A moon looks full when the Earth isn't in the way between it and the sun, so it's acting as a 'mirror' to the sunlight." Almost giving up on those few lines, he scanned the rest of the letter.

Most of it sounded like vague concepts with no real reference, but certain things stood out. More references to 'the stone' that Damon assumed to be the moonstone. 'To quicken the dead' we assumed to suggest vampires.

"This bit about being 'wood and wild,' 'meek and mild,' and the 'sun and moon'… I wonder if it's talking about vampires _and_ werewolves." Damon mumbled.

"What?" I asked, sure I had misheard him. He tore his eyes from the paper.

"Werewolves." He repeated and, after momentarily mocking my look of disbelief, added, "Yeah, they exist, too. In fact, you were about to shake hands with one when I walked in here." Instantly, I turned to find the man, Tyler, but he was gone. "You know that whole 'Mayan curse' thing I mentioned a couple times? It also put the dogs in their place. They can only transform on a full moon, and we can't take the sunlight." While I digested that, he turned back to the message. "You know, the rest of this almost sounds like it's talking about" before he could finish his thought, his cell phone rang.

"Damon speaking." He answered. My mind automatically heard the words being spoken through him.

_Damon, is Elena still with you?_ Stephen asked. He glanced quickly at the clock; it was just after six.

"No; she left for the hospital about half an hour ago." Again, he somehow managed to almost sound interested, while still leaving the feeling of being mocked.

_I'm there now. According to the staff, she left at noon and never came back._ Damon's façade crumbled. _She's not answering her phone, and Jenna and Jeremy haven't heard from her since this morning._

"What about Caroline?" Something like panic crept through his body.

_Caroline hasn't talked to her for a few days._ His jaw tightened and he shoved the paper back into his pocket.

"Alright, I'll check this side of town and the woods." And he hung up, already half-way to the door. I had to run to keep up. _Go back to the manor. Don't let anyone in._ He ordered. In silence, I followed him, wondering if he knew before even thinking the words that I wouldn't obey them. _Damn it! I can't worry about both of you right now!_ He snapped. _Go back to the manor and wait for me. Try to figure out the rest of Bonnie's message; read; go to sleep. _He advised impatiently,_ it doesn't matter, I just need to know you're safe so I can focus on finding Elena!_ I understood; I really did, but it didn't matter. I wouldn't stay at home in hiding if Elena was in trouble. I had no loyalties to her; that much was true; but she was important to Damon. That was all the encouragement I needed. Thankfully; Damon's mind was so busy focusing on where she could be that he wasn't paying attention to my whispered thoughts.

We left the bar and my heart skipped a beat. It was dark. The monsters were out.


	11. Terrible Trade

Short and sweat! Wanted to let you guys know something else, really quick. The whole 'Shadow Men' name, which is REALLY lame, wasn't originally meant to become an official name. I didn't originally plan on loading this, so didn't fork out much mental energy on actually calling them something. What was originally 'the men who came from the darkness' become 'the men the hid in the shadows' to 'shadow men' to 'Shadow Men.' So, yeah... anyways, thanks for reading! Oh! And I'd love to hear any of your ideas regarding deciphering Bonnie's message! That's it. Enjoy!

**Terrible Trade**

We left the bar and my heart skipped a beat. It was dark. The monsters were out. _That's why you need to go back to the manor_. He pressed. _There aren't many people out. I doubt anyone will notice you if you get in the air as soon as you reach the forest._ Already, he was running down the street at a fast clip. _Let me know when you get there._ With absolutely no intention of staying, I started toward the manor. Yes, I would stand before the door; I would see if Elena was there; and then I would leave.

I sprinted toward the forest; forcing back the terror the shadows created. Get in; get hidden; and fly. Damon's jacket already looped around my arm, I jumped over the border of bushes and flapped hard. From above the treetops, I could see the edge of the storm front; great rolling clouds; ready to burst at a moment's notice. The storm sent angry winds billowing down the lee side of the mountain. For that I was grateful. I knew how to conform the gales and use them to accelerate my flight to almost dizzying speeds; I just hoped Damon wouldn't try to fly in them yet; not in his human form at least.

In under a minute, the manor came into sight. Just as I started my decent, something caught my attention on the door. Something white was flapping madly in the wind. _Damon, I'm here._ I projected. There was a fleeting moment of satisfaction, but then his mind went back to focusing on his frantic search. Good; I didn't want him focusing on me.

Heart pounding, I touched down and trotted to the door; staring at the paper like it was an angry snake; venom already dripping from its fangs in anticipation. Still, I forced myself to hurry forward and grab it; hoping; praying it was a harmless note to the residents. But, as my eyes flew over the first line, that hope was obliterated.

_We have the girl. You know what we want. You know where we are. If you want her back safe, you'll make the trade. You have until sunrise. Run, run, run. As fast as you can._

The Shadow Men had Elena. She was in danger because of me. This was my fault. My heart pounded wildly in my chest. Guilt; agonizing and justified; burned within me. I had to go to them. I had to free Elena.

_What's wrong?_ Damon. I quickly forced back the thoughts of the note and what I had to do as I entered the house.

_Nothing;_ I lied, _have you found anything?_

_Not yet._ I could hear him curse under his breath. _Just, stay inside until we sort this out._ For a moment I was quiet; warring with myself.

_Alright; be safe._ I murmured, closing the door behind me. Satisfied, he returned his attention to Elena. Once I was sure he wasn't listening to me, I opened the door and took to the sky. Even though I was unconscious when I was taken to and from the Shadow Men's refuge, somehow my body knew where it was and, regardless how every fiber of my being was screaming to run the other way, I started towards them. Fast.

The winds were violent now; the storm maybe an hour away. Forcing the violent air currents into submission, I shot through the sky and came upon their camp in minutes. Still, the effort it took to tame the angry gales left me panting as I dropped to the ground outside the isolated cabin. It would have been a beautiful thing to see; the grand log house nestled in the middle of the forest; but I knew of the monsters hidden within.

"I'm here!" I shouted, adrenaline pounding through my veins; panic spreading through my body like ice. "Let her go!"

_Thea?_ Damn. Damon, I'm sorry. The door opened. _Thea, where are you?_ I could feel the dread steal over him. Elena was tossed out the door, a gag tied around her mouth, and her hands and feet bound. There was a scrape on her forehead, but she seemed otherwise unharmed. _Thea!_ Her terrified eyes shot to mine; tears spilling down her cheeks. _No!_ A blank expression formed on my face; empty; as a man walked out from the shadows within the cabin. _Thea, get out of there!_ I'm so sorry; Damon. You need to forget about me.

"Let her go." I demanded. "I'm here. I'm not going to run." That sick smile crossed his lips as he stared at me with those hungry black eyes.

"How do I know you won't fly off the instant she's free?" he asked. He had won. There was no way for either of us to escape them; they were too fast. If he wanted, he could easily overtake me and keep Elena. Yes, he was certain of his victory; he just wanted to make sure I knew it, too. Still, I lifted my shirt over my head and trapped my wings in it. And he laughed. That laugh that made my hair stand on end and my heart falter in terror. Damon was shouting wildly; demanding my retreat; a frenzy of wrath and horror. The man walked slowly towards Elena, a knife gleaming in his hand. The closer he got, the more frantic her sobs became. Completely focused on me, he absently sliced through her bonds. Frozen in terror, she scrambled away from him.

"Go on, girl; your use is done." He said impatiently. With a final, fleeting glance at me, she struggled to her feet and raced away. In that one look, I saw the heart-stopping guilt tearing through her; the silent apologies screaming from her core. But the simple fact was that she had no choice except to run. There was nothing she could do to help me. She could merely escape and keep the casualties down.

_Damon, you need to find Elena; she's in shock._ I told a still frantic Damon. _Find her and get her out of here._ I said calmly over his mad demands. He mentioned having Stephen take care of her while he came to me, but that immediately sent my heart racing. _No Damon! _I shouted silently. _There are too many; you know that! We only barely got out last time, and then they weren't expecting you!_ The alpha held his hand out for me; motioning for me to come to him.

_I'm not going to let them have you! Not again!_ He roared. A tear slid from my eye as I started walking.

_There is no other choice, Damon. If you come here now, they'll kill you._ He was silent as his mind desperately struggled for a logical argument, but found none.

_I don't care._ He finally said. I was so shocked, that words and thoughts temporarily failed me. The vampire's cold hands touched the small of my back as I stood before the black within the cabin.

_I'm sorry_. I sobbed as the darkness consumed me.


	12. Sometimes Death Rides on Rusty Wings

A ton of violence in this chapter. I want to say there will be about five more, but I could be very wrong. Anyway, thanks so much for the reviews! And the song, as many of you will recognize, is Jen Titus' O Death.

**Sometime Death Rides on Rusty Wings**

Before the door had even closed, fangs tore into my throat; earning a gargled cry of pain and surprise. That single noise intensified his lust tenfold and he tore several gashes before his jaws stilled and he greedily drank. That was the only utterance he would get from me. I knew how they loved to hear my pain; my fear. I wouldn't give them that satisfaction. Vaguely, I remember feeling Damon's anguish as he came upon Elena before my eyes closed.

* * *

The darkness. And the cold. No. No; they had me again! My eyes shot open, but it made no difference. There was no light here. The shadows had caught me; devoured me. The monsters had won. And I was lost and alone.

_Thea!_ I flinched violently; unsure at first where it had come from. _Thea, can you hear me?_ Damon? A sudden, overwhelming relief. _You've been quiet for days. I thought…_ even in his mind, he wouldn't say it; but I understood.

_I don't die that easily._ I replied with a smirk. Footsteps. They were coming. The same dread that surged through me radiated from Damon.

_Listen to me, Thea; you're in a different place than before. Do you know where they took you?_ I couldn't think. My eyes stared into the darkness, trying vainly to see what was coming. _Thea!_ Damon shouted, _where are you? What can you see?_ He wanted to come rescue me; save me. _Of course I'm going to save you! _He exclaimed, almost insulted, _but I could really use your help._ He said, voice strained with clear impatience. Save me… save me from the monsters. They're coming. They're coming! _Thea! Tell me where you are!_ No! Too many! They'll kill you! You have to stay away! _Stop worrying about me, damn it! Where are you? _The door opened. No. You have to forget me. I distantly felt his muscles ripple as he threw something against a wall and it shattered into a thousand pieces.

Laughter. Anticipation. Yes, they had been waiting eagerly for this. Only then did I realize the straps tying my wings to my back; my hands locked above my head. The same. Again and again. And they laughed.

And they came in. No faces. Dark silhouettes filing in. Someone cracked a whip. _Don't listen._ I pleaded. _Focus on something else. Don't listen to this._ I don't want you to go through this too. He swallowed hard, but his presence seemed to intensify. With a pang of guilt, I added, _please, Damon. I don't want you to see this. It'll be easier for me if you don't listen._ He seemed to struggle for a moment.

_I won't leave you alone._ He said sternly, almost begging me to understand. A harsh hand grabbed my chin and jerked up my face.

_Please._ I whimpered. And they struck me. White flashed across my eyes. No sound escaped my lips. Not even a sharp exhale. I let my muscles go limp and my gaze fall. Vaguely, I realized Damon was raging through the manor; a vortex of guilt and destruction.

_Give me something! Anything!_ He demanded. _The color of the walls. A sound. A smell; can you hear cars?_ He was desperate. I purposefully muted my senses. _Damn it! Don't do this! Don't do this to me!_ I think he was actually shouting. _A vague direction; where do you think they headed?_ A blade tore into my breast. I didn't flinch as the nerves responded violently. Stephen was saying something; trying to calm Damon, but there was nothing he could do. There was nothing either of them could do. I was trapped within a coven that believed me to be a vital part for true immortality. There was no escape; no rescue. If he tried, he would die; and I'd be damned if I let that happen. Damon was safe. Elena was free. That was enough.

_Did Bonnie wake up?_ I asked. Fangs pierced my thigh.

_No._ He sounded defeated. _She's still in a coma. _Guilt gnawed at my heart.

_I'm sorry. _He scoffed in disbelief. _Any new theories on her message?_ He shook his head.

_Afraid I've been a bit preoccupied._ He added sarcastically. White hot agony shot through my lower back. My body automatically shot forward and the laughter restarted. I cursed myself as the muscles continued to twitch in agony regardless my demands of still them. A new determination filled him and he raced through the door; pushing past Stephen.

_Damn it Damon; stay away!_ I ordered. Only then did he decide to ignore me. In a rage, I lashed out, kicking an unsuspecting vampire hard in the face. To both of our surprise, he fell back against the door, tearing it from its rotting hinges. Blinding light poured into the room, burning my eyes. A window; roughly boarded up, but not entirely. Tiny slits of the outside; of freedom. Red sand. There were no trees. Rocky hills with a few dying shrubs. My body instantly pulled against the restraints; desperate to be even an inch closer to the blessed escape. Relief. Damon. No! No; he saw!

_Stay away from here, Damon! _I shrieked. He said nothing; but I could feel the powerful muscles work as he soared high above the forest. _Damon!_

They were laughing again. The vampire I'd struck slowly got to his feet; a grin on his lips and death in his eyes. He walked purposefully toward me; fingers tensing and releasing. An instant later, my abdomen was a livid beast of agony as my body doubled over; writhing against the shackles. My diaphragm struggled desperately to draw air into my lungs. The harder I fought, the greater their pleasure. Fingers tangled in my hair and wrenched my head back. Once more, my throat was slit open by their icy fangs. Again and again, they bit into me. At some point, the door was replaced and again darkness descended. Something pulled at my legs and I let myself go. The further from conscious I was able to sink, the better. Empty. A shell. And they used me. One after another. And they beat me. Whips and knives and fists. And they drained me until even the darkness began to spin. Finally, blissfully, my eyes closed.

"Wakey, wakey little bird." There was death in his voice. But I didn't move. Not a flinch. "On the ground, there is a hill." My heart faltered. "Also a serpent within a well." How could he? "Repair the well, fast about/that thy serpent pass not out." I couldn't regulate my suddenly frantic diaphragm. "Do stop me if you've heard this before." He implored. And then he laughed. Drenched in horrid images; he laughed. And my body trembled. "Yadda, yadda; purification and redemption; but, now here; here is the interesting part. 'The blood of mine heart I wish.'" He mocked the words with exaggerated theatricality, "'Now causeth both joy and bliss/And dissolveth the very stone/And causeth him to be fix.'" He was silent for a moment.

"You know what that means?" he asked rhetorically. "Well I'll tell you what I believe it means. I believe it means that you can cure this curse." He said calmly. "I believe you can give us the freedom of walking in the day again." Though my body trembled and my breath faltered, my eyes didn't move; still desperate to feign sleep. The seconds ticked by. Without warning, he struck me hard in the side, just below my ribs. Though I somehow managed to quiet the cry dancing on my lips, my eyes flew open and my body crumpled.

"Now that I've got your attention," he started impatiently, "I want answers." I glared at him and smirked.

"Wouldn't we all?" I shot back. Again his fist lashed out at me; this time curling up my abdomen to maim my diaphragm. In an agonizing gasp, the air fled my lungs, leaving me writhing against the chains. He chuckled; obviously pleased from my distress.

"Let's try this again." He offered. "Tell me how." Oh, this wasn't going to be fun. My jaw tightened, but a mocking smile crossed my lips.

"What's the magic word?" Damon laughed, regardless the malice storming through him. The alpha nodded slowly before punching me hard in the face. My jaw went limp for several seconds, blissfully numb, before white hot pain made the muscles tremble. He watched me with that satisfied grin and I quickly threw up a smile. Pain? What pain? The agony shooting through my face? I've been hit harder by an elementary student.

"I'll give you one last chance; you little slut. What does it mean?" He asked through clenched teeth. I looked straight into his black eyes. And I sang.

"O-o Death. O Death," My body rocked slightly with the beat. "O-o Death, won't you spare me over 'til another year?" I swayed to the beat. Confusion painted across his face. "Oh what is this that I can't see, with ice cold hands taking hold of me?" And I smiled. "When God is gone and the Devil takes control, who'll have mercy on your soul?" Anger. Yes the rage was building. "No wealth, no ruin, no silver, no gold; nothing satisfies me, but your soul." His fist slammed into my diaphragm. My body trembled, but my smile never faded. The air was gone from my lungs, but the words kept coming. "Well I am Death, none can excel. I'll open the door to Heaven or _Hell_." Again, he hit me; his knuckles rasping my cheek. "O-o Death."

"Stop it!" he ordered, snatching a discarded whip from the floor.

"O Death." It sounded like there was utter joy in the way I called the mourning words. The whip crackled and my stomach split open. "O-o Death." Panic lit in his dark eyes. "My name is Death and the end is" Desperately, the whip cracked; again and again. Blood dripped down my back, my hips, my thighs. "here." Vaguely, I saw his fist rocket toward me before everything went black.

It was bad after that. They never stopped coming. Each to satisfy every desire. My skin was riddled with vicious bites. My body was an elaborate painting of blues and purples; like the night sky just after the sun has set. I tried to distance myself; just let my body hang as they abused it. I couldn't fight them. There was no strength left in my shredded muscles. Sometimes they would leave the lights on. So I could watch. So I could see their black eyes and blood smeared faces. My blood. Sometimes they snuck in without my realizing it. And they took me by surprise. They beat me and raped me and drained me. Anything to get a reaction. But I was vigilant in my silence.

Except when the alpha came. Then I sang. Always I sang for him. I wanted him to know that Death was coming. And I would welcome her with open arms as I brought her to him. Yes; I would bring Death to him.

"Little bird. Wake up little bird." Agony shot through my stomach. My abdominal muscles convulsed vainly to rid themselves of the intruder. In the darkness I could just see the hilt of a dagger protruding from just above my belly button. Not that bad. Gasps tore through me. It wasn't that bad. It wasn't deep. Spasms tore through my desperate body. He wouldn't kill me. Right? He needed me. Though I truly had no answers for him; he didn't know that. For all he knew, I was the only way to walk in the light.

"I have a surprise for you." I glared at him; trying vainly to regain control of my diaphragm. "I was told something interesting today." He started. "Someone mentioned that there might be someone else that would be a bit more… willing." The look in his eyes made my heart race. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you got this little gene from," he hesitated to let the horror within me build. No; God no. "Your mother." I kept my face expressionless, but couldn't quell the racing within my chest. "We've already got a lead on her." He continued happily. "Apparently she's been in New Mexico for a while; soaking up the rays," he paused and looked at me, "while her only daughter has been… wasting away. Alone." My teeth ground together. "Anyway, it should only take another day or so before we have her. So there's no more use for you; is there?"

Lips twitching in a smile, he closed the distance between us until I could feel the cold air leave his lungs. My body tensed as his fingers wrapped around the hilt of the blade. He brushed his cheek against mine and twisted the dagger. I couldn't silence the cry as the blazing inferno overwhelmed my body. Every atom of my being screamed and writhed. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. Vaguely, I heard Damon raging; begging me to hold on; assuring me that he was almost there. At some level, I heard the words; but there seemed no meaning behind them. My legs caved and the chains dug into my wrists; already tacky with blood.

"And I assure you," he promised, "this," he wrenched the knife from my stomach drawing another weak cry from me; "will be nothing compared to what we'll do to her."

"You bastard!" The ferocity of my own voice would have surprised me, but there wasn't an ounce of logic left in me. As blood streamed from my gutted torso, I lunged for him; every muscle of my body tearing at the restraints. Feathers broke as I flapped viciously. All the while, he laughed. In a sudden burst of rage, I pulled hard with every ounce of strength I had. Several loud pops echoed through my body and my wrist and hand was suddenly felt like they had been dipped in molten rock. But it didn't matter. I screamed my rage and pain and terror as I charged him. I think Damon was shouting somewhere in the back of my mind.

There was a tiny shred of uncertainty in his eyes, lingering only long enough for me to glimpse. But then his fangs were buried in my neck. His jaw locked around my throat. Closing my airway. Someone was yelling outside. In a moment of distraction, he looked towards the door. For just a second, he left himself open. One tiny second. And I acted. His own distrust was to be his downfall. Always, he was riddled with weapons; knives, whips, guns. And stakes. His eyes went black as he spun back around to face me. But I'd hit my mark. Something like confusion lit on his face as he slowly looked down. My fist locked around the end of the stake. Black snakes coiling up his throat. Blood turning to ash. Stolen blood.

"O-o Death." I sang. "O Death." I smiled. "O-o Death." My hand found another of his prized weapons. "Won't you spare me over 'til another year?" Trembling, I swayed to the silent music. "When God is gone and the Devil takes hold," the beat pumping steadily through my veins. "Who'll have mercy on your soul?" I buried the wooden dagger in his stomach. "O-o Death." A tiny, desperate noise sounded from his lips. "O Death." More screams. Closer now. "O-o Death." A knife through his neck. Try laughing now. "No wealth, no ruin, no silver, no gold." He fell to his knees, gazing hungrily at the gaping wound in my stomach. I shoved another dagger up his mouth, deep into his skull. "Nothing satisfies me but your soul." With the very tip of my foot, I pushed him away from me. "Well I am Death, none can excel. I'll open the door to Heaven or Hell." Skin rich with decay, he fell back. "O-o Death." His body gave a few, final attempts at movement. "O Death." His shaking hands hovered over his pin-cushion body. "O-o Death." I looked down at him as his eyes began to glaze over. "My name is Death and the end is" he sighed, "here."


	13. Black and White

Another, kind of difficult chapter to write. But interesting things are coming! Speaking of interesting things, I have an announcement to make. I got an offer from a publisher. After reading a few examples of my writing, they agreed to look seriously into publishing my next novel. Amazing though this is, it's kind of bad news for this story. Keep in mind, I FULLY PLAN TO FINISH IT. It just might seem a little... rushed. We're looking at about 3 more chapters. Maybe four. Of course, I'll get them to you sooner with a little encouragement *hint hint, nudge nudge*

**Black and White**

The door opened. I didn't move. I wanted to wait until the Sun rose. I wanted to watch his body smolder. I wanted to smell the putrid scent of his flesh burn. Just to make sure it was really over. That he was really dead. That he wasn't coming back. But something called me.

Face void of expression, my eyes roamed unsteadily toward the dim light. My body flinched to keep my leg from caving, but I remained on my feet as I looked at him. And blindly sought that ice blue. Damon. Don't look at me. Not like this. Filthy and used and broken. Ruined. Slowly, he approached me. Something about the way his eyes gazed at me made me want to sob. But there wasn't strength enough even for though. Disgusting. I'm sorry. Just a foot away, he stopped. And he stared at me with such emotion, I couldn't turn away. So delicately, his fingertips brushed against my cheek as he freed my face of a defiant strand of hair. His other hand rose and, with the same, delicate touches, trailed up my jaw.

I almost didn't feel his lips ghost over mine. Slowly, he leaned back. And he drew his wrist to his lips and dug his fangs through the soft skin. A drop of crimson stained his lips as he held the wounded limb to my mouth. I saw his movement, but there was no longer any meaning. To anything. I couldn't think. Couldn't understand.

_Please._ He begged. That single, silent word seemed to say so much. Eyelids fluttering, threatening to bring the darkness, I met his gaze. And my lips embraced the bite letting the sweet liquid seep over my tongue. That's all I could do. Vaguely, I felt him free my wings of their restraints before wrapping his other arm around me. It didn't feel like I was really there; just watching… from somewhere far away. I couldn't feel the warmth of his touch. The pain of my wounds. The sorrow of my ruin. I merely watched it unfold from a very distant place.

My legs collapsed. No; not mine. Her's. Her legs. That girl there. The one that already looked dead. But Damon caught her against him. With impossible tenderness, he lifted the dying girl to his chest. He tore the boards from the window so that the sun shown brilliantly into the house. In silence, they watched as the alpha's skin began to curl and smolder. The tiny flame intensifying every second. They watched the inferno turn his body to ash. And her eyes slid shut.

* * *

_ Beep…_

_ Beep…_

_ Beep…_

Monotonous. Constant. And a dripping. Almost silent. And cold; snaking up my arm. Something seemed to be pulling the skin of the back of my back. Not painfully; just a steady, light tug. No; nothing hurt here. I knew it should.

My eyes slid open; reluctant to risk leaving the blessed numb of sleep; but there was something… something I needed to do… important… couldn't remember.

White. Everything was a blinding white. Something was strapped my face, over my mouth and nose; a clear mask; blowing cold air into my lungs. One of my hands was trapped in a hard casing that traveled up my arm to my elbow. A cast. Because the bones were broken. Huh. I contemplated this without really understanding anything.

_ Beep…_

_ Beep…_

There was a constant pressure on my finger. With only mild interest, I glanced down. A clip attached to wires. And there was a red light glowing on it. Terribly familiar. I knew what this place was. On the tip of my tongue; I swear. I know. I know… it's a… a… I know… but… so tired. Just a few more minutes; then I'll remember.

* * *

Again; the monotonous beeping; ever screaming quietly in my ear. Something warm was twined through my hand. Familiar. Comforting. My hand automatically tightened around the warmth. Movement. My heart beat just a little faster. The beeping quickened.

"Thea?" My body flinched violently away from the voice; nearly propelling me from the small bed, but the rails on the side slammed into my lower back. Muted though it was, the pain from the collision left me gasping; tiny, desperate huffs that turned the mask over my face white. Words; hushed; false pretenses of calm.

A hospital! I was in a hospital! No; I couldn't be here! My body became a sudden hurricane of limbs; ripping the mask from my face; tearing the thing from my hand; snatching the clip from my finger. Someone was calling my name. Hands locked my arms against me. I flapped hard, filling the small, white room with a violent wind. A window. In the far wall. Escape! A door was flung open behind me. My head snapped around. Men. White coats. Gloves. Needles. No! Suddenly, everything was dark. And warm. My body froze. Don't see me; please don't see me.

"Leave." The word reverberated around me. An order. Not to me; to the men in white coats. With a surge of relief, I heard their footsteps retreat. Soft. But hard. Safe. Hidden in the warmth, I was safe. "Thea," again my body flinched, but I didn't pull away; I couldn't. "Thea; I want you to look at me." Whispered, tender words. Echoing around me. Feathers. I was surrounded by a wall of feathers. Except in front of me. Smooth. My hands grasped the fabric. "Look at me, Thea." Hesitant movements, but my head tilted up. Silhouetted by the white. I knew that glossy, black mane of hair. That pale skin. And those eyes; like ice. And I broke.

My jaw hung slack, lips twitching with so many things that I simply didn't have the words to say. He knew. In silence, his embrace tightened; arms holding me delicately; desperately against him; wings shielding me from the world. I tried to say his name, but my lips wouldn't work.

"Hey, hey; it's alright." He murmured into my hair. I wanted to stay like that forever; forget the world around us and just bask in his warmth and safety. But there was something I needed to remember; something important. Danger. Someone was in danger. A knock at the door. I spun around sharply; sending an agonizing surge of fire through my back. Still, I immediately tried to get out of the bed.

"Wait. Thea; stop." His arms became restricting, and adrenaline surged through my chest. Some part of me knew the arms were Damon's; that he would never hurt me; but I couldn't fight back the terror; that I was trapped. With wide eyes and a racing heart, I desperately wrenched myself from his hold. The longer I struggled, the greater my panic became, and the harder I thrashed. _Thea! Listen to me! _In my head. They were in my head! _Thea; he's dead! The alpha's dead! You saw him burn! They don't have you anymore!_ Have to get out. I need to fly. Please, I need to fly!

"Not yet." He whispered, "Just wait a little while; you're body can't," My back felt warm, but still I struggled. "Listen to me! You're body can't handle flying yet. Just give it a few days." His words calmed as he spoke them; and my body calmed in response; though the adrenaline left me trembling. Have to get out of here. They'll find me. They'll see my wings. Please; please don't make me stay here.

"Easy, Thea; alright, listen to me." He brushed the hair from my face and guided my gaze to his. "Let me talk to some people first." My eyes drifted to the window. "No; Thea, look at me. Stay right here for just a little while longer. I won't let them hurt you." Even as he said the words, such guilt filled his eyes that my heart ached. And yet I laughed. How he blamed himself for my actions; how it tortured him. And how grateful I was for it. And I cried as I laughed. He looked at me as though I'd lost my mind. Maybe I had; but still I buried my face in his chest and clung to him as he held me. What happened wasn't his fault. There was nothing he could have done to prevent it. He knew this just as well as I did yet still his eyes screamed apologies.

"Thank you." I whispered; meeting his eyes. Thank you for caring; thank you for saving me; thank you for being here. Even more confusion lit in his eyes. A different kind of confusion. With tears sliding down my cheeks, I kissed him.

"You are a strange one." He murmured affectionately.

"Are you complaining?" I replied.

"Not at all." He smirked and kissed me again. "Now," he added after a moment, "two things: stop worrying about people finding out about you." He motioned to my wings, "and would you please stop wasting medical supplies. I swear, you just love making me work." I bit my lips and gave him an apologetic look. But how could the staff not find out about me? When they bandaged my back, they couldn't have missed the massive wings.

"Do you really think I'd draw that much attention to us?" He asked sarcastically. I puffed my lips out a moment, as though in thought, before nodding seriously. He chuckled, "Come on; vampire, remember? I have a few tricks up my sleeve." A coy smile toyed with his lips and my heart skipped a beat. "Alright; wait here. I'll be back in just a second." With a final kiss, he left.

I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear as I relished in how my skin tingled where he had touched me. That man was something special. He was a monster, a charmer, a fighter, a joker, and absolutely adorable.

_I heard that._ He retorted from his hurt pride. I giggled and ruffled my wings.

_What are you going to do about it?_ I shot back deviously. He just smiled as he approached a nurse. While he persuaded her to give him an extravagant amount of medical supplies, I preened. My feathers were a wreck. Maybe Damon was right. I didn't think I could fly in the shape I was in. My vision blurred. Oh shit. My back was soaked.

_Damon_. I called as the room began to spin. _Problem._ His attention instantly snapped to me. My wings flared to steady myself, but still I was falling. Damon shouted something and a chorus of footsteps echoed down the corridor. I tried to lie back, but my body couldn't figure out which way that was. The further back I leaned, the harder the rail pressed into my side until the last shred of balance I thought I had fled me and I started to fall. Instantly, Damon was holding me. _Think I may have ripped something._ Even in my mind, the words sounded slurred.

_Yah think?_ I giggled weakly. Maybe it was the lack of oxygen, but everything suddenly seemed comical. If Damon wasn't there, I was sure I would have fallen into a panic. But he was there, so it was all okay. He carefully laid me on my stomach so the doctors could access my back. No; my wings! Shit! The strangely serene sense of comfort vanished. _Relax; they can't see them._ What? How the hell can't they see them? _Like I said, I have a few tricks._ He assured me. For a few more seconds, I seriously contemplated a final mad dash for the window. Regardless the knowledge that my ragged wings weren't flight worthy. Regardless the fact that it was the middle of the day and everyone would see me. But Damon sought that terrible spot between my wings. And I went limp.

Some part of me noticed the medical staff tooling and pressing and cleaning. But all I could think of was how his fingertips caressed my skin. My wings sagged to the bed.

_We'll get you patched up… again; and head home._ He promised. Home. Where family was. Family. Mother. That's what I couldn't remember! _Calm down, Thea. We'll think about that in a few days._ No! How long has it been already? They were after her. The alpha had sent men after her and they were close. Was I already too later? How long ago did he say that? How long have I been here?

_How long, Damon? _He was quiet for a moment.

_Three days._ He finally admitted. God damn it!

_Damon, stop, _my mind swam. _Listen to me! The alpha knew I wouldn't help him, so he went after my mother._ Concentrate! Were they drugging me? _New Mexico. I have to go to New Mexico. _His fingers froze.

_And just what good would you be like this? _He shot back. My jaw tightened, but I could managed nothing more. If I got there fast enough; if I could just warn her; _I don't know how long it's been since you looked at a map, but there's almost 2,000 miles between here and there. And what makes you so sure she's still even there? It's been three days; she could be anywhere right not. _Rage burned within me. And guilt. And frustration. I was helpless. There was absolutely nothing I could do while my mother could be in grave danger.

_How do you think I felt?_ The words shocked me. Even in his thoughts, he whispered, as though unwilling to admit it. _Except I knew what was happening to you. I saw everything they did to you, but there wasn't a damn thing I could do. _Some part of me had managed a vague idea of his frustration, but I had only know did I understand how he felt; what I had put him through.

_I'm sorry._ I whispered, meeting his eyes. _But, please, don't make me go through it, too._ His jaw tightened.

_That's not fair._ He accused. I swallowed hard, but didn't back down; pleading with my eyes.

_Help me._ I whispered. He quickly looked away. I could feel how he warred with himself, but finally his shoulder slumped and he met my eyes.

_Alright._ Relief washed through me. _Twenty-four hours; then we'll leave._ I started to question him, but he interrupted me. _So your back can close up. _He explained before adding,_ and I'm driving._ Driving? As in a car? How strange. I'd never been in a car before. He scoffed. _Makes travel a lot easier. _

The doctors finished rewrapping my back and reattached the IV before giving Damon several stern warnings and leaving. They had me hooked up to a cocktail of fluid, antibiotics, and painkillers. They almost gave me a blood transfusion, but their blood tests kept giving them unconfirmed results. My body wasn't human. Luckily, Damon had taken that into consideration before they gave me anything. I only needed about 1/10th of what normal humans went. A little goes a long way with me.

"Alright, you get some rest; I need to make a few calls." I could feel his reluctance. As he turned to leave, I just managed to catch his hand. With troubled eyes, he looked at me.

"Thank you." I tried to convey just how grateful I was in those two words; however impossible it seemed. Still, he understood. With a heavy smirk, he kissed me.

"Go to sleep." He whispered affectionately; brushing the hair from my face. He pressed his lips to my forehead and left. With a sigh, I closed my eyes. Tomorrow the search for my mother would begin.


	14. Drop in to Say Hello

Le Gasp! Two chapters in one day! Tell me you love me! No... really. Reviews are always wanted; good or bad! And thanks to those of you that have shares your opinions! Warning time. This chapter has VERY adult content... and situations... oh yeah ;)

**Drop in to Say Hello**

The sky was dark when I woke. Damon had just walked into the room; a nurse right behind him with a wheel chair. Her mouth seemed to be moving nonstop and, from Damon's lethal aura, had been repeated the same things several times. She fiddled with the machines a moment while Damon lowered the side railings of the bed.

"Alright princess; your chariot awaits." He mocked. I shot him a glare, earning a coy smirk from him. After the nurse attached my IV drip to a portable stand, Damon helped me into the chair. I stoke the blanket and wrapped it tightly around my back; hiding my wings. The nurse followed us down the hall, into the elevator, through the lobby, and into the parking lot, all the while reminding us of rudimentary medical care.

_The real reason I never go to hospitals._ I joked. He grinned and nodded as he carefully helped me into the car.

_Then let's try to avoid another repeat performance. _He retorted. I bit my lips and smiled. Ignoring the nurses continued lecture, he got into the car and drove away. I couldn't help but notice several plastic bags overflowing with all kinds of medical equipment in the back seats.

"Jesus, Damon; you robbed them. I don't need all of this." I said, eyeing several devices that I couldn't even fathom the use for.

"I'm thinking proactively." He replied. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"I'm really not as accident prone as you lead me out to be."

"Oh really?" The blatant sarcasm in his voice sent a rush of blood to my cheeks.

"Yes really." I pouted. He just looked at me and my blush deepened. He laughed as he pulled in to the manor. The front door swung open and Stefen quickly trotted to meet us.

"Hey little brother," Damon greeted, "wanna make yourself useful and grab the stuff in the back?" Stefen shot him a glare before turning his attention to me. The guilt in his eyes made my chest clench. Without a word, he began carting the bags into the house while Damon walked around the car. He start to lift me up, but I stopped him.

"I haven't stood on my own two feet in a week." I explained. "I can walk." He scrunched his lips to one side of his face before replying.

"Well, the annoying nurse says otherwise, so…" I snorted and pushed past him. He rolled his eyes, but stepped back. A surge of blood rushed to my head. My hand locked around the door handle as the Earth began to spin slightly. Without a word, and placed a steadying hand on my shoulder. _Go slow._ He whispered silently. I nodded and, once the vertigo faded, released the door. Hovering protectively over me, he guided me to the front door. The more I walked, the easier it became. Still, I was grateful for his support as I slowly made my way up the stairs, wings flared for balance. Finally, I was comfortably lying on his bed, exhausted from just that tiny bit of movement.

"Alright, time for some real medicine." He said once he secured the IV bag above the bed and sprawled out beside me. "Some good, ol' vampire blood." I frowned. He hadn't fed since that day in the woods when he grew wings; not from me, at least. "Yeah, we're not worrying about that right now." he said, bringing his wrist to his lips. I quickly grabbed his arm.

"Only if you take some too." I said stubbornly. He scoffed and looked away a moment. The thirst suddenly flared within him; no, not flared; just forced itself past his defenses. He had been hiding it from me. He swallowed hard and clenched his jaw. "Damon." I murmured and sighed. Over and over he told himself that he couldn't, that I couldn't handle it right now. I rolled my eyes. "If I'm drinking from you at the same time, it'll be fine." He started to protest, but I brushed the hair from my neck and looked up at him. "Please." I begged; knowing how underhanded it was.

"That's just mean." He joked. I caught my lips between my teeth and pleaded with my eyes. He glared at me, but couldn't fight back the darkness that flooded his eyes. I smiled in victory and he chuckled before giving in and kissing me; softly as first; then with insatiable hunger. Passion. His hand found the dagger on his nightstand and he cut into his throat. I trailed down his jaw and neck with tiny nips and kisses before locking my lips around the wound. He tilted his head back a moaned. I gave him a quick, rough bite and relished in the pleasure that shot through him from it. Near panting, he tangled his hand in my hair and kissed me delicately just above my jugular. I gasped as his teeth penetrated me and he drew my blood into his mouth.

The never-ending cycle of give and take left me breathless as I clung to him. As one being, the blood passed through us; filling up. The truest satisfaction one could ever feel. He growled and pulled my hair; granting him more access to my neck. With a moan, I bit his neck harder. His hand shot our and latched onto the headboard as his head flew back with something like a roar. The mild ache of my wounds had faded completely; whether it had been healed from his blood or merely drowned out in my desire, I didn't know; now did I care. I flung myself at him and forced him beneath me; ignoring the stab of pain from my stomach.

My hands slid beneath his shirt and quickly rolled it up his torso. He chuckled and grabbed my arms.

"Thea." He called. With only a guttural sound as a reply, I straddled him and nipped his ear. With a grunt, he struggled to regain his train of thought. "Not… Thea, stop." His words were breathy and betrayed his body's response as his throbbed against me. "This is not," I slid from his hold and kissed him, "Not, " he continued between kissed, "what you… need right now." I bit his lower lip and met his eyes. He forced his body into compliance and pushed me back. "Not yet." He reiterated.

No? Was he really telling me no? Don't do that. I trembled beneath his touch. Please, don't tell me no. Some part of me needed this; needed to claim some control over what happened to my body. I needed to have this because I wanted it; because I needed to prove that I had the ability to decide when. Understanding lit in his eyes and his hands released me.

"Thea." He murmured. No; don't do that. Don't pity me. Just fuck me; damn it! He sat up and wrapped his arms around me. And he kissed me. The wild desire was gone. The mindless need forgotten. Something so powerful fueled his kiss, it left me breathless. He pulled back and looked at me. In silence, he said so much. And he kissed me again.

My body melted against his and he guided me back to the bed. His hands began to pull slowly at the ties of the hospital gown and tossed it aside. His lips trailed down my chin, my jaw, my neck, my shoulder, my chest; letting his tongue caress the buds of my nipples. With tantalizing delicacy, he worshiped my body with his mouth. His hands roamed down my sides, over my hips, down my legs, up my thighs; just flicking his thumb over the center of my need. My head flew back with a deep groan. His lips pressed against mine and my arms wrapped around his shoulders. I inhaled deeply as he entered me; my back arched until I was flush against him.

And he made love to me. Always, his movements were gentle, tender, yet still filled with such strength. I could feel his desire surging through him, but there was something else, far more powerful, controlling his movements. Every touch, every kiss was overflowing with it. Even when his body seemed ready to shatter as I clung to him, lost in the overwhelming ecstasy, still his every touch was a caress. Panting, his body tensed before collapsing over me, kissing me gently.

Dancing somewhere on the very edge of consciousness, he gathered me in his arms and held me against him. I sighed into his chest as his lips touched my hair. For at least that moment, he let me forget what had happened; how I had been hurt. All my worries, for that moment at least, didn't matter. In utter content, I let myself go.

The morning light bled through my eyelids. I didn't want to wake up. I didn't want to face the problems awaiting me. I wanted to stay there forever, just before waking, nestled in Damon's embrace. Damon.

"What's wrong?" I asked. He felt so troubled. But, the instant he realized I was awake, his mind quieted. He smiled and kissed my forehead.

"Nothing." He evaded; lied. In the very back of his mind, I could still feel something nagging at him.

"What is it?" I pressed. His jaw muscles balled, but he said nothing. Still, a fleeting thought of my mother answered my question. Still, that didn't seem to match with his earlier concern.

"Well, we should get ready." He said; rolling off the bed. I quickly got to my feet and grabbed his wrist. He started to turn back to face me, but I had already wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his chest. The warmth of his skin against mine was an ecstasy in itself.

"This isn't a one-way thing, you know." I whispered, "You can talk to me." When I looked at him, his face broke my heart. But then he smiled and kissed me.

"We have a lot of ground to cover." He replied. "It you want to do this, we should get going." I pouted, but released him. He quickly looked away and retrieved some clothes. "You and Elena need to go do a girls' thing and get some clothes. I'm running out of sweatpants." He joked. My cheeks burned as I took the pants and shirt from him.

"Sorry. It's a little difficult to keep much of anything when you're flying all over the place." I replied, "And I've never been much of a shopper."I said the word with a touch of disgust and he laughed.

"Well, I'm afraid I don't have any extra bras you can borrow." He mocked. I giggled and slid on the pants.

"All kinds of commando; interesting." I replied. He smirked and grabbed some jeans from his closet.

"An old friend of mine made a few calls. Apparently your mother was in southern Kansas two days ago, heading east." I froze with relief.

"She's… she's alive?" I gasped. He nodded before pulling a black undershirt over his head. "They don't have her." He gave a confirming smile and reached for a black button down. I almost squealed as I threw myself at him. He laughed and caught me.

"Thank you!" I shouted exuberantly. She was alive. And she was free. There was still a chance. Not wanting to wait another second, I released him and ran to the door.

"Hey!" he called as my hand grasped the doorknob. I turned to look back at him. "Forgetting something?" he dangled the shirt in his hand and blood rushed to my cheeks. I quickly slipped into the shirt. Damon caught me around my waist and kissed my cheek. I giggled and playfully pulled away from him.

"Come on, I want to leave!" I pressed. He chuckled and grabbed my shirt.

"Might be a little more comfortable with a few more holes." He said, unsnapping a knife and cut two slits in the back. I ruffled my wings and guided them through the openings with a smile.

"Thank you." I whispered and kissed him again.

"Alright, quit wasting time, already. Let's go!" he mocked. With a huge grin, I opened the door and headed down the stairs. Yesterday's blood exchange had helped a great deal. My wrist was an easily ignorable ache, and I barely noticed my back unless I pulled it the wrong way. My stomach was still tender, though.

"Thea." Someone called as I reached the bottom of the stairs. I spun to see Stefen walk into the front room. "Can we talk?" I wanted nothing more than to say no; to just leave; but I couldn't turn away from heart wrenching guilt in his eyes. I couldn't help but think of a puppy again and a sudden burst of laughter erupted from Damon's room. A comical look of confusion crossed Stefen's face as he looked upstairs.

"Don't ask." I dismissed. "What did you want to talk about?" With one more glance toward the second story, he returned his attention to me and the guilt returned to his eyes.

"Listen; I," he seemed to struggle with his words, "I owe you an apology." He explained. My shoulders sank. I didn't want this. "When you got here, I immediately assumed the worst, and I'm sorry." He had every reason to be untrusting; I couldn't hold that against him. "And what you did for Elena… I can't thank you enough." To say I was uncomfortable would have been a huge understatement. "If you ever need anything, _anything_… just let me know." I swallowed hard.

"Stefen, you don't owe me anything." I started.

"Yes; I do." He interrupted. "You saved Elena; and you nearly died because of it. I owe you… _so much_." There was obviously no getting out of this.

"Okay." I replied reluctantly. He gave a short nod and left.

Laughter still shining in his face, Damon came down the stairs. _Puppy._ I said. He instantly lost all control and howled his amusement. I nodded. Stefen was never going to live that down. Oops. "Alright, alright; let's go." I ordered, pulling him towards the door. Still smiling, he followed me outside. Stefen was already long gone.

I had just reached the car when I heard it. Through Damon, I heard it. The cry of wind being torn apart. I knew that sound. The screaming that accompanies a dive as you rip through the air. My eyes darted up. And I gasped. White feathers with thin black barring. Platinum blond hair. Even from here, I could see her fiery emerald eyes. And she was racing towards Damon. A stake held firmly in her hand.

"No!" Even before the word left my mouth, my body was moving. With several quick flaps, I launched myself at him. He suddenly moved with impossible speed. His arms locked around me and yanked me back towards the car before turning to face his attacker.

Several hard flaps and feet hit the ground. Without missing a beat, she rushed him. "Stop!" I demanded, but she didn't flinch. Using her wings fluidly to speed her movements, she seemed to hover through the air. Still, Damon was faster. He tore the stake from her hands and tossed it into the forest. Completely unfazed, she continued after him; attacking him with everything she had; beating him with wings and fists and feet. He didn't retaliate. Not once. He merely dodged and blocked her continuous advances.

I ran after them; heart racing. She was going to kill him. I had to stop her! But how? Without thinking, I through myself at them. She swung her arm back to punch him. My hands latched onto her wrist. Blindly, she threw her wing at me. Hard. I lifted a few feet off the ground and flew back.

"Thea!" Damon shouted. I slammed into a tree. Wounds that I believed to be nearly healed suddenly proved painfully otherwise. For just a second, everything burned white. The air fled my lungs in a agonizing huff and I crumbled to the ground. In the distance, I vaguely heard Damon curse. My stomach and back felt warm. With a powerful sweep of him arm, Damon sent her careening away from him and he raced toward me.

"No!" She shouted as she threw herself back to her feet and raced after him. Ignoring her, he kneeled beside me. I struggled to sit up, but he held me down.

"Are you alright?" he whispered.

"I'm fine; move!" I ordered. She was only five feet away.

_I'm sorry._ He said silently. Terror suddenly stormed through me.

_No, Damon! Don't hurt her!_ I shouted back. Without a word, he met her assault. He grabbed her fist and quickly circled around her back. She cried out from the screaming joint. He tapped the back of her knee with his foot and sent her to the ground. She started to struggle, but suddenly went limp; aside from a few, weak attempts to break free every couple seconds. Hatred burned in her glazed eyes.

"Hi Mom." I grunted as I sat up; hand pressed again my screaming stomach.


	15. First Impressions

Oh my. Only one chapter to go after this... yeah. I nearly cried writing this. I'm way too in touch with my characters. Anyways, for anyone who's interested, yes I had planned on a sequel; already have everything planned out, but, as I said earlier, I have the publishing thing just around the corner. If, once I finish with the last chapter (which I hope to get done tonight) someone wants to take on the sequel themselves, I'll let you know what ideas I have for it and give you free rein. That being said, I may still take this back up later on depending on my schedule. I just got a job, plus the publishing thing, and taking care of my horsy, so we'll see!

**First Impressions**

"Hi Mom." I grunted as I sat up; hand pressed again my screaming stomach.

"Thea! Run!" She ordered, managing another attempt to evade Damon's hand.

"Mom, stop," I tried to keep my voice calm, but still it shook with adrenaline. "You don't need to fight him."

"Damn it, Thea! Listen to me! He's dangerous; you need to get out of here!"

"Do I get any say in this?" Damon put in. With a grunt, my mother slammed her elbow into his torso. "I'll take that as a 'no.'"

"He not one of them, Mom." I begged her to believe me.

"There are things in this world that you don't know about, Thea." Her voice held that, 'I'm older and wiser so you need to agree with me' tone that I had almost forgotten about.

"What? Like vampires and werewolves?" I shot back. She froze and looked at me as though I had just stabbed her. "Yeah. I know."

"If you know what he is, then why don't you run?" She yelled.

"Because Damon's not one of the bad guys." I replied. Again.

"Damn it! He's a vampire!"

_Well that's nice. She's got the tolerance of a saint. _Damon mocked.

_Shut up, Damon. You don't know what she's been through._ For that matter, neither did I.

_Well, so much for making a good impression on your folks._ I almost managed to bite back the chuckle. Terror suddenly flooded my mother's eyes.

"Thea, look at me!" She ordered. Her voice shook with dread and horror. Hesitant, I met her distraught gaze. "Did you feed on him?" Blood rushed to my cheeks and a fresh surged of adrenaline surged through my chest. "Tell me you didn't feed on him!" The accusation in her voice made me cringe. Tears slid from her eyes and her face fell.

"Mom," I started.

"Don't!" She screamed in a broken voice. "Don't talk to me! I taught you better than that." She spat. "How could you?" Damon gave her arm a little tug, sending a jolt of pain from the joint.

"Now, that's a little harsh; don't you think?" he whispered coldly.

"You have no right to talk to me!" she growled.

"Damon; just let her go." I whispered. I had forgotten. I had forgotten the hatred that had been festering within her all these years. I had forgotten how set in her ways she was. How harsh she could be. Without meeting her eyes, I started to push myself up. Instantly, Damon was there, and put a protective arm around me. Slowly, my mother stood; watching him with disgust. "The ones that were chasing us," I informed her; voice empty, "their leader is dead. A few pawns were sent after you, though. They saw you in New Mexico." I didn't see the shocked look on her face.

"They found you?" she barely breathed. For just a second, I met her gaze and nodded. She seemed to age right before my eyes. "I left so I could lead them away from you." She barely managed to get the words out.

"It's alright." I told her, "Damon saved me." He subtly leaned between me and my mother. It went unnoticed by neither of us. She looked so old, suddenly, as she stared at us; frail almost.

"You saved her?" I could hear something breaking within her. Damon said nothing as he met her gaze. "Am I to believe that a monster selflessly risked his life to save my daughter? Or was it because you know what she is? You know what she is and you used her to break the curse." She accused.

"Damn it, Mother; it's not like that!" I shouted; exasperated.

"How do you know?" She challenged. "What makes you so sure he's not like the others? Thea, you don't know what you are. You don't know what you are to them." Her tone became sympathetic at the end. My heart raced.

"You know." I barely whispered; angry boiling within me. "You've known all along." She said nothing. "Haven't you?" She swallowed hard, but her eyes revealed everything. "Haven't you?" A long sigh.

"Yes." She finally admitted, never averting her gaze.

"You lied to me." I was shaking from the anger storming within me. "All these years… You lied to me!" I started towards her, unaware what I would do once I stood before her, but my body moved all the same. However, the first step set my stomach aflame and my leg nearly caved. Damon's hand instantly shot out to catch me.

"Thea, that's enough. You need to sit down." He said softly. Grinding my teeth, I shook him off and continued toward my mother.

"'Sit down?' Why? What's wrong?" she asked. The concern in her voice only fueled my rage.

"All these years… You knew; you always knew!" I shouted. "How could you even look me in the eyes when I asked you 'why?'; 'Why am I different?' 'Why can't I play with the other kids?' 'Why can't I go to school?' All those years." I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think.

"Thea." Damon called quietly, touching my arm.

"I trusted you! I looked up to you!" The world began to spin.

"Baby," she murmured.

"No! Don't 'baby' me!" I roared. My stomach was screaming in agony, but all I could think about was how effortlessly the lies had rolled off her tongue. "You… you" I was panting. Vaguely I noticed Damon edge closer to me. Tears choked me just before they spilled down my face. I had adored this women; worshipped her. But she was nothing that I believed her to be. How could she look me in the eyes when I told her how I loved her? I suddenly couldn't bring myself to even look at her. I tried to step back, but the earth suddenly dipped.

"Thea!" Damon instantly caught me. I didn't feel his arms holding me. Lies. All lies. What could I believe? Was my father really dead? Did she know about the scripture Bonnie had given us? Once she called me an angel; sent to her from God. Was everything a lie? My world was crashing down around me. I clung to the only thing I still believed in. The only one I could trust. Damon. _I'm right here._ He promised.

I heard voices, but they sounded so far away. That women asking what was wrong. She sounded distraught. I wanted to slap the concern from her eyes. Damon impatiently explained that I had been in the care of psychotic vampires up until four days ago. The next words were too frantic to make any sense of, but I understood Damon's reply. He told her how firmly I had demanded that we find her before the alpha's underlings did. So we could warn her. Because I wanted to protect her.

The comfort of a bed met my sore back and the arms began to retreat. No! With everything I thought I knew slipping away like sand, he was the only bit of solidity I could hold on to. Desperately, I reached out for him. His twined his fingers around mine and brushed the hair from my forehead. _I'm not going to leave you, Thea. _Damon. Thank you. _Ever.

* * *

_

_The shadows were everywhere. Closing in. I could hear screams. Immediately, I recognized who they were coming from and panic settled deep in my chest. My mother. I fought desperately to find her; but everything felt so heavy. I couldn't move. And the shadows were coming._

She's dreaming about you._ On the very edge of perception, I heard it. _She almost always dreams of you. And the coven of vampires she calls the Shadow men. _Whips cracked. And laughter. And my mother cried out in pain._

Then stop her. Talk to her! _I called for her; tried vainly to free my limbs that I might run, but every time I felt the slightly, the darkness swarmed me and pulled me back under._

I can do that? _I could smell blood. _How?

Use the link._ That voice that sounded so far away was knit with reluctant. Another angry crack of a whip. Another scream. Mom! I'm coming! Just hold on! I wrench my arm from the darkness and raced down the ever lengthening hall. A thousand footsteps roared just behind me._

'_Thea.' From the black that surrounded me; Damon. I nearly collapsed against him._

'_Damon!' I cried his name. 'Damon; they have her! They have my mother!' Without saying a word, he embraced me. For a moment, I couldn't help but melt against him. Another agonized shout and I pulled away from him. Angry voices bellowed from behind us. 'We have to run!' Because they were coming. The hurt was coming. The hurt was coming, so we had to run. And they had Mother. Had to save her! Damon didn't move. They were just behind us. My heart raced painfully in my chest as my head whipped around to see them. And army. And army of monsters that brought hurt and pain._

_Silent fury burned in Damon's eyes. I tried to force him away; begged him to follow me; but he merely moved to stood between me and the raging horde. For just a split second, they stood; sizing us up; and they charged. I couldn't move. I didn't have to. Damon waved his arm toward them and a might wind suddenly knocked into them. Black fire. And they burned. The sky began to brightened; like the sun was finally rising after an eternity of night. He turned toward me. I looked into his ice blue eyes and ever worry fled. Yes; I was safe. There was nothing that could scare me as long as Damon was with me._

'_Thea.' He breathed my name and my knees felt weak. Then his arms were around me and he kissed me. With such power; with such passion, he kissed me. I wanted to tell him something. Something important. But my mouth wouldn't form the words I was desperately reaching for._

I'm sorry. _What? Who said that. A look of confusion bled over Damon's face. That smooth taste of iron flooded my senses. I tried to call for him; but the darkness was stealing over me. Panic. Damon, stop it. He stumbled back a few paces; his hand slowly reaching for his chest. You're scaring me. Please; stop it. Crimson shown on his fingertips. His body convulsed with tiny gasps. Horror filled his eyes as he looked at me. And he fell. I screamed his name and jumped toward him, but something engulfed me and yanked me back. Away from him. Over and over, I cried his name; fighting with every ounce of strength I had to rid myself of whatever unbreakable force had captured._

Because you saved my daughter, I'll spare your life. But if I ever see you again… I will kill you. _The bit of light faded from the sky and I was forced back. With a shaking arm, he reached for me. Something slid down his cheek. And his arm fell. And everything went black._


	16. The Final Dance

This is it, guys! ... I'm sorry. you'll find out why when you read... But, I'm happy to say, it turned out to be exactly 40,000 words! (Take away all the little openings; I'm talking about just the story) My offer stands to anyone interested in writing a sequel. Just send me a note, regardless whether or not you want my ideas for what happens next. I'd love to hear how someone else uses my character/s. Well, Thanks so much for reading. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

**The Final Dance**

I knew that sound. The soft whispers of wind passing through velvet feathers; caressing the perfect fibers; streaming around the cusp of wings. Someone was dancing. There was nothing more intimate than a gentle contemporary dance between a flyer and the sky. And, God was it singing. Steady flaps; the heartbeat. The flutter of buffeted clothing; the strings. And the air itself, embracing you, only to be torn violently apart; the vocals. Yes; here was beauty.

A few, quick flaps broke the trance, and awareness slowly began to creep over me. Everything I remembered seemed suddenly like a dream. A cave. And Mother. She laid me carefully on the cold rock floor. It was dark here. The sun and moon were hiding. Why? What couldn't I remember. It was so important. Screams. Yes, there was screaming. What else?

"Hey, Sweetie." My mother whispered; gently brushing the hair from my face. "How are you feeling?" There was a faint hint of trepidation in her voice. I couldn't understand why. Everything was a mass of clutter and haze within my mind, but something was missing.

"Tire." I murmured. She smiled sadly. Was that guilt?

"Then sleep." Sleep. The magical cure to everything. Just go to sleep and everything will be all better when you wake. But it wouldn't. Not this time. Something was missing; something important. I felt deaf. Such silence reigned over my mind that everything else seemed lost.

With a surprising amount of effort, I forced to sit up; biting back the cry of pain that screamed from my stomach. Why? I knew comprehension was almost within reach; just a hair's width from my fingertips.

"Mom," it came out almost as a croak. She immediately kneeled beside me. "Something's wrong." Her jaw tightened. Something flashed through her eyes too fast for me to name; but it was there.

"No," Her hand moved to rub that delicate spot between my wings. "No; everything's fine." She promised. But it wasn't fine.

"No; no stop." I ordered; suddenly fearing the flood of endorphins that accompanied such a touch. Laughter. I remembered laughter. Rich and warm. And my cheeks blushed, but I smiled. Why? Her hand stopped.

"Thea;" There was such love in the way she said my name; but such sorrow. "You're confused. It's alright. Just go to sleep; Baby." My defenses instantly flared. '_Baby.'_ She wasn't suppose to call me that. She couldn't say that anymore. Because she knew. What? What did she know? My head ached. Absently, I cradled my forehead in my hand. "What is it, Honey? Talk to me." She said softly. No. I was mad at her. Something… and someone was coming; someone was supposed to be here.

"I don't… I don't," I couldn't focus even to finish forming the words. Her hand returned to it's mindless caressing.

"It's alright, Baby; just rest." She said again. Why must I sleep? I had only just woken. Why did she want me to sleep? And don't call me 'baby.' Why did I feel so alone? But he promised. Who? He said he'd never leave me. I knew him. Like he was a part of me, I knew him. He was a part of me. That man. Another jolt of pain shot through my stomach. Automatically, my body cringed and my hand pressed against the agonizing muscles. Something soft brushed against my fingertips. With hazy eyes, I sought the thing out; somehow already knowing what I would find. The hard, hollow spine; the soft, melodic fibers. Hesitantly, I freed it from the bandages in which it was caught and held it up to the tiny bit of dim light oozing from the mouth of the cave.

A single feather; black as the darkness night. And I heard his laugh. And I felt his touch. And I remembered how his eyes looked when he saw me. I remembered how his kiss made my knees weak. And how his presence gave me strength. How safe I felt when he held me. How free it felt to fly with him. How perfect the world became when I woke up in his arms. Something warm slid down my cheek as a realization came crashing over me. I had a name for that thing that overwhelmed me when he smiled. For the feeling that flooded through me when he called my name.

"Thea?" My mother. Why had he looked so scared when I saw him last. I was dreaming; but it was him. Somehow, I knew it was him.

"What did you do?" Death was in my voice. She looked taken aback. But then dread filled her gaze.

"Thea." She reached out for me. Without a sliver of remorse, I slapped her hand away.

"What do you do?" She wouldn't looked me in the eyes.

"It's better this way." She finally said; voice cold. A chill went down my spine.

"No." I barely whispered. The blood on his fingers. Trembling, I leaned against the rock wall to get to my feet.

"Listen to me, Thea; it's better this way." She said sternly; once again adopting the tone of an elder impatiently instructing a child.

"How the Hell could you know that?" I shouted over the ball trapped within my throat; choking me.

"Thea, I've dealt with vampires before; nothing good comes of them." If you really believe that, then look at me and say it.

"You don't know him!"

"Yeah, because you're the only one to think you can change them; save them." She accused.

"No; I never wanted to change him." I said; voice breaking. "I didn't want him to change." She scoffed.

"Damn it, Thea; there are things in this world you" My rage peaked and lashed out.

"I what? I don't know? Don't understand? What evils do I not know about?" This was going to hurt her; and some part of me felt remorse for that, but the words kept coming. I don't think I would have stopped them if I could have. "I know of monsters, Mother! They caught me! You were gone, and they caught me! I was whipped. I was beaten. I was raped. And I was sucked dry over and over again. Now you tell me; what horrors, exactly don't I know?" Her face was blank, but I saw her breaking before me. "The only thing I don't know is what you won't tell me; what you lied to me about!" She swallowed hard and looked at me. "What am I?" I demanded with a final surge of rage. Her jaw tightened several times and she took a half step back. But she stopped; eyes glued to the cave floor.

"We're called Familiars." Her voice was empty as she spoke. Hopeless and desolated. "When we first came into creation, vampires and werewolves were the aftermath. Their power is directly tied to us, and ours to them. Under certain conditions, a link can be made. When that happens… the possibilities are limitless. For the vampire or werewolf, a link with a familiar is to have the ultimate power. But for a Familiar to be linked to a one of them is to have a chain tied 'round your neck and your freedom taken from you. Thea, if that vampire ever fully understood the potential of the link, he could work his way into your mind and take complete control over your body. He could sway your thoughts and strip you of your free will." She looked at me with such remorse, it almost made me hesitate; but I had to know.

"What about the scripture? A witch touched us and…" She nodded and I let the words die.

"Long ago, the Mayan cursed the vampires to burn in the daylight, and the werewolves became prisoners to the full moon. They're powers weren't enough to create such a spell so they capture and sacrificed a familiar. Her wings were torn from her back in semblance to the freedom being taken from the monsters. They killed her when the sun and full moon shared the sky and trapped the monsters in the darkness, as according to their nature. As you may have guessed, the beginning tells of the death, rebirth, and destruction of vampires. The ending tells how the familiar was sacrificed, and warns of how, with the curse can be broken. It warns not only humans, but familiars of what vampires and werewolves are truly capable of. He is dangerous; Thea." She begged me to understand. "I only did what I had to, to keep you safe." I took several deep breathes; trying to grasp the enormity of what she had finally told me.

"Thank you." I whispered. Hope lit in her eyes; tentatively, though; like she was afraid to have it come crashing down around her. I met her eyes with a somber smile. "I understand why you did what you did, and I'm grateful that you told me all of this. I know you won't understand, but I want to be with him. Call me ignorant, naive, whatever you want, but I know that Damon _is _different. I'm not a source of power her him. He's striving toward any kind of domination. And I'm going to go back to him." For a long while, she was silent.

"I hope you're right." She finally whispered. As though she would collapse at any moment, she closed the distance between us. "Be safe." She nearly sobbed the words as her arms locked around me. Desperately. With the morbid knowledge of imminent parting. "And know that I love you." With the same solemn acceptance, I returned the embrace.

"I love you too, mom." My words cracked, but it didn't matter. With a final squeeze, she released me. And I left.

The wind carried me with as though she knew the urgency that fueled my aching body. I didn't need to know where I was coming from; which direction my mother had taken me; how far away I was. It didn't matter. I knew where I was going. And I knew how to get there. As if by magic, my wings carried me toward him. Over mountains, through deserts, across lakes. Never once did I question my heading. On the third day, just as the sun was beginning to rise my eyes found the small clearing; just big enough for a road and manor.

With several hard flaps, I touched down. And the door opened. In disbelief, he stood in the door way; face an empty canvas; eyes that cool blue that took my breath away. Maybe twenty feet stood between us; nothing. I swallowed hard and smiled; my heart racing within my chest as I walked towards him.

"Hey," I whispered. His lips twitched slightly with unspoken words. Did I imagine how his eyes seemed on the verge of overflowing? I held the feather between my fingers and looked at him. "You forgot something." I said, offering it to him. Almost frowning, he took it from me and stared at it a long while. Finally, that wondrous smirk toyed with his lips. "So, I realized something while my mother held me captive," I struggled with the words for a long while as I stared at him. Finally, I drew my brows together and whispered "I love you."

The feather slipped from his fingers. For a brief second, he almost looked pained, but a smile lit on his face. Hesitant, like I might disappear at any moment, he skimmed his fingertips across my chin, my cheek; brushed a strand of hair behind my ear; and he crushed me against him. With a deep, shuddering breath, like he was on the verge of losing all control. He buried his face in my hair and sighed as I clung to him.

And he kissed me. With such force, such passion, I feared I would burst. And I kissed him. I kissed him because I once feared him. Because he saved me. Because I saved him. Because he gave me strength. Because he had seen atrocities and committed evil. Because he could still laugh. Because he made me smile. I kissed him because I loved him.

"Say it again." He panted, pulling back for just a second. I smiled against his lips.

"I love you." Three words that I would never grow weary of saying. "I love you, Damon Salvatore." A noise lost between a chuckle and a sob echoed through his chest.

"Athena," the way he said my name made my heart stutter. "I love you." For a while longer, I lost myself in his embrace; in his kiss. The sky was a soft blue, when he pulled back. For a moment, he a silent, but then he scoffed and chuckled.

"Your mother shoved a stake through my chest." He accused with a smile, twining his fingers through mine. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh, shut up; she got the wrong side." I shot back. With a final chuckle he kissed me once more. And then he called his wings.

"Come on," he whispered affectionately, "fly with me." Without another word, we shot into the ever brightening sky. Tomorrow we would worry about the consequences of what I was and what we had become. Would more vampires come after me seeking the ethereal power a familiar could give? Just what was the real limit of our connection? Could I really free Damon from the Mayan curse? What about the werewolves? What would happen if Tyler learned about me? What would he do? Tomorrow. God only knew what tomorrow would bring.

But for that day, at least, we danced. We soared on the raging currents of future storms and dove between the towering pine trees. We raced each other through branches and trailed our fingers over lakes to form images only we would ever see. We fought and spun and battled the air until it seemed our wings would be ripped from our bodies. And then we flew some more. Yes, tomorrow might bright nightmares, but, for just that day, life was a dream come true.

The next day, Bonnie woke up.


	17. Disclaimer

**!FIRST CHAPTER'S UP!**

Oh my, it's happened! I've grown bored of my actual story, so I reread this one and, regardless how I shuttered at my grammar (esp. in the last couple chapters), the sequel began to play in my mind. I couldn't stop thinking about it all day during work, sooooo….. I've started writing it. Also, just so you're forewarned, I've forgotten most of what I had originally planned when I wrote the first one so A) It may be different than I may have hinted at in the first one and B) I have no idea how it will end. Which means it might not…

What I can promise is that it'll have plenty of comedy (or my attempts at it, at least), horror, fluff ('cause fluff makes me feel better), hurt/comfort ('cause I'm a hopeless addict), and a sh!t ton of inappropriate content and adult situations; good, bad, and all kinds of gooey filling. As always, I love any and all comments, thoughts, flames, ideas, or suicide letters. Keep in mind, the more I hear from you, the more incentive I'll have to keep writing. It really helps to know that people are actually looking forward to another chapter.

And, yes, it's late right now, I'm exhausted, and, therefore, I'm about 99.95% unpossitive that I wrote something wrong. Good reading!

IT IS ALIIIVVVEEEEE!

And I shall call it... Hounds of Hell

Until something better comes up...

PFT! Nope, shitty title; deal with it. I haven't changed the Shadow Men to their new name yet, so it may well never happen... until I finally go through Of the Wing with a pretty red pen.

On that note, just so there's no confusion, in case I forget to mention it later, the Dal-Shay _are_ the Shadow Men... scratch that... oohhh, wheels are turning! Inspiration strikes!

**!FIRST CHAPTER'S UP!**


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